Crystal Waves
by Drop And Die
Summary: Summer is upon the group and Aelita looks forward to her first vacation. How will a trip to the United States change her life? Tons of fluff! JxA, UxY. Rated T. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Aelita's fantasy snaps apart as a giant hand shakes the ground beneath her. Consciousness returns in a rush and Aelita moves under the covers of her warm bed. "Unghh…I thought summer allows me to sleep in?" the pink haired girl complains.

"Of course it does! But you already have slept in; its noon." Jeremie replies, smirking at the lump hidden under the covers. A zombie-like face pops up and turns slightly pink as Aelita looks at the object of her dreams. Shaking her head, Aelita tries to get her brain rolling. "Well, I would've liked a bit more sleep you know." Jeremie chuckles.

"The party obviously took it out of you. You still got ten hours of sleep though." Jeremie sits at the edge of her bed while Aelita flops back down and buries her face in a pillow. "What are your plans for the summer anyway?"

Aelita frowns into the pillow. "You already know I'm stuck here for the duration. A vacation would be nice though." Jeremie clears his throat and she raises her eyebrows.

"About that…I talked to my dad this morning. He wants to bring us all to Hawaii for a week. If you'd like to go that is." Aelita doesn't react for a few seconds as her sleepy brain processes his statement. _Vacation?_ The girl has her arms wrapped around Jeremie before he can react.

"Of course I'd love to go!" Aelita relishes the comforting presence of him as she relaxes in his arms. "Wait, when do we leave?"

Jeremie looks down at her pink hair. "Err…tomorrow actually. We'll be packing all day. The others are already getting ready by now." Aelita has a sudden stab of regret flare in her as she realizes the others are coming along. Embarrassed, she pushes it down and looks forward to the actual vacation. "What's Hawaii like?"

"I've never been there but it's a series of islands. There will be plenty of stuff to see and do, like surfing or snorkeling!" Aelita's anticipation grows as she envisions lazy days spent on a beach. _Looks like I can finally use that pink swimsuit Yumi bought for me a couple months ago. Wonder what Jeremie would think?_ She blushes at the unbidden thought. A yawn cracks through her jaws and Aelita snuggles closer to Jeremie.

Jeremie rests his chin on her head and the two peacefully contemplate the vacation for a few minutes. The door bangs open and they immediately fling apart in opposite directions. Jeremie flips over the side of the bed while Aelita dings her head against the wall. "Ow!" the two simultaneously yell out. The sound of laughter reaches their ears as they nurse the injuries.

Odd and Yumi lean against the doorframe while smirking at the two on the floor. "Doing something against the rules you two?" Odd jokes. Aelita and Jeremie blush while staring daggers at Odd.

Yumi turns to whisper, "Hey Odd. You might want to lay low today alright? I don't think they enjoyed that one." Her voice returning to normal volume, she says, "Well, be glad we weren't Jim. Even though its summer he wouldn't take kindly to you being in here Jeremie. Especially doing umm… whatever you two were doing." She couldn't stifle the chuckle that escaped her lips.

"Oh? You probably wish you could do the same with Ulrich right?" Aelita smirks as her remark makes Yumi turn crimson. Jeremie helps Aelita onto her feet while Odd laughs at the comeback. "Besides, it was just a hug for inviting me on vacation." _No need to mention how long the hug lasted._

Aelita rubs her sore head and realizes she needed to get ready for the day. "Alright, fun's over. I need to get cleaned up and start packing I guess." The other three nod and file out the door. Yumi looks over her shoulder and mouths, "Don't forget the swimsuit! Jeremie will love it." Aelita winks back before grabbing her toiletries and heading to the showers. The halls were eerily silent as the majority of kids had left that morning for home. Her footsteps echo down the hall and Aelita becomes a little spooked in spite of herself.

_Showers are definitely a huge perk to being human._ Aelita finally wakes up under the warm stream of water and heads back to her room after getting ready. She looks at the tangled mess of clothes on her floor and winces at the thought of the chores ahead. An hour of frantic cleaning merely moves the clothes from the floor to the bed, closets, and one suitcase. Running a hand through her damp hair, Aelita decides to take a short breather.

Resting on the floor, the pink haired girl notices something glinting under her bed. _So that's where it went! _She leans over and pulls out a shining pink crystal on a long silver chain. The facets of the gem reflect light into Aelita's mesmerized face. She puts it over her head and looks in the mirror at a stunningly beautiful girl. The mirror image's emerald eyes glisten with moisture as Aelita recalls the night before.

**-Flashback-**

"Aelita, let's go! The others are waiting." Yumi calls while knocking on the door. "Besides, I'm curious as to what you decided to wear to the dance."

"Hold on!" Aelita replies. A muffled curse along with a clattering sound reaches Yumi's ears. "Yumi, remind me to clean up a little! I can barely move without hitting something."

"Well if you wouldn't spend so much time chatting with Jeremie your room might actually have a floor that's findable." Silence greets this statement before the door opens and a slightly blushing Aelita walks out.

"True, I will admit that. Now how do I look?" Aelita twirls in place as she replies. Her pink hair and matching top flutter a little from spinning. Two small green earrings complement her eyes while contrasting with Aelita's black skirt and heels.

"Excellent. Wouldn't be surprised if Jeremie faints when he sees you. Let's go live a little!" Yumi grabs Aelita's arm and the two head for the gym. A steady group of kids enters the hive of activity when the two girls rush up to the line. Jim looks over the controlled chaos while handing out admonishments left and right.

"Remember, this is a school sponsored activity! So no crazy stuff at all. None!" his voice booms over the crowd but is readily ignored. All the children can chat about is the upcoming dance to celebrate another year's end. Aelita peers around the multitude of people for a glimpse of Jeremie but fails. Instead she turns to Yumi and talks about what to expect at a dance while the line inches towards the doors. "Oh excuse me losers! Why'd you bother to show up?" yells Sissi as she knocks Aelita to the side. Yumi helps Aelita up and shakes her head at the anger tightening her friend's face.

"There's no point responding. She only did that because you're clearly the prettiest girl here tonight."

"I am?" Aelita replies in shock. Yumi laughs and nods.

"Wow, so you haven't noticed every single guy looking at you? You are clueless. That or hopelessly besotted with a certain…someone." Yumi winks while waving her hand at the many males surreptitiously glancing at Aelita. _Yumi has a point. They are all looking at me. I might as well admit it: the second part of her sentence is true._

Aelita turns to Yumi. "Hey! I wouldn't say hopelessly…" She punches Yumi in the shoulder for insinuating she had no chance at her crush. _Crush? Bit more than that._ Aelita mentally shushes herself and almost misses Yumi's words.

"So you don't deny it? I can guess the lucky guy." Yumi replies while trudging forward towards the increasingly loud music. "Of course, you do a really bad job of hiding it. Unfortunately Jeremie is too focused on you to even notice." Aelita is puzzled by Yumi's response.

"Too focused? You're saying he likes me?" Yumi laughs and raises an eyebrow at her oblivious friend.

"You seriously just asked that? We're talking about the guy who would do anything for you. I mean he did spend almost all of his time for a year working on your materialization. No way would he do that for anyone else or for a mere friend for that matter. Trust me, he likes you."

"Interesting. I'll keep that in mind." Aelita smiles but it slowly fades as uncertainty rises in her. "You sure he does?" she queries as they finally reach the door. 

"Yes I'm sure. You'll notice when he can't stop staring at you tonight. Now get in there!" Yumi pushes Aelita through the doors and into the wall of sound. The sea of moving bodies, flashing lights, and sheer presence of the deafening music disorients Aelita more than materialization did. Strangely enough, spying Jeremie in animated conversation with Ulrich by the wall calms her down faster than she thought possible. A smile transforms her radiant face as she heads straight for them.

Just as Yumi had predicted, the second Jeremie laid eyes on her he couldn't tear them away. Aelita releases a delighted laugh as she weaves through the crowd without breaking eye contact with Jeremie. Yumi trails behind while laughing under her breath at the disappointed faces that watch Aelita.

"Wow, you look…err…simply gorgeous." Jeremie stammers as Aelita finally reaches him. "Although you are missing one thing." He reaches into his pocket.

Aelita looks at him curiously. "Thanks for the compliment. But what exactly am I missing?"

"This." Jeremie replies as he hands her a long jewelry box. "Try it on." Aelita takes the box and gazes at it for a few seconds before opening it. Nestled in the center was an iridescent pink orb surrounded by elegant silver chain. Aelita pulls it out and spins it in the multicolored light.

"Ohh…it's so beautiful! You didn't have to do this…" She puts the necklace on and squeals with gratitude while giving Jeremie a kiss on the cheek. _Not where I wanted it but it'll have to do for now._ She smiles in satisfaction at Jeremie's blush before giving him a hug. "Thanks so much! Now, who here is ready to have a little fun?" Ulrich looks at Yumi before nodding his agreement. Yumi grabs Ulrich and the two are quickly lost in the crowd. Aelita takes the hint and looks up at Jeremie. "Ready?"

Aelita latches onto Jeremie's arm and drags him towards the stage. "You are going to dance with me. There isn't another option." she commands. Jeremie rolls his eyes and nods before slipping a hand about her waist. Soon the beat picks up Aelita in its embrace and she loses herself in the music and Jeremie's arms. The pink haired girl has no idea how much time passes before the band calls for a break. Damp with perspiration, she notices Jeremie panting with effort. "Ready for some refreshment?" She drags him towards the drinks before he could nod.

"Hey there Einstein! I see Aelita has you busy." Odd calls as he walks up to Jeremie while Aelita uses the restroom.

"Yeah she definitely loves music." Jeremie replies while sipping on a glass of ice cold water and watching the crowd. "What have you been doing?"

"You know me. Dancing with any girl I can." Odd nudges Jeremie in the ribs. "Speaking of which, I see you made your move with that gift. About time!" Jeremie nods his agreement.

"She loves it. It looks amazing on her too. I'm horrible at dancing but she makes me not care at all…Aelita's finally here and I still can't say what I feel." Odd claps a despondent Jeremie on the shoulder.

"Not a problem. She'll come round sooner or later. From what Yumi has been hinting, I'm going to bet on sooner. Aelita likes you a lot." Odd encourages while Ulrich strolls out of the crowd and joins them.

"We talking about Einstein's singularly bad luck with girls?" Ulrich jokes. Catching his victim's death glare, Ulrich relents. "Oh come on, you know I was joking. Besides your little surprise vacation will do the trick. I don't know how many times the princess has mentioned her wish to go somewhere this summer."

Odd clamps a hand over both their mouths. "Shush, the girl in question is on her way." They chat innocently until Aelita and Yumi push through the throng. Snatching the last cup of punch, Aelita leans against Jeremie and tries to cool down before the band rejoins the stage. The music works its tantalizing magic around the crowd once more and she winks at Jeremie. "Let's go back in!" _I love how I can make him do most anything I want._ Smirking at the connotations of that thought, she lets the music carry her mind away once more. Far too soon Jim walks onto the stage and dismisses the students back to bed.

"Blah, what time is it Jeremie?" Aelita asks tiredly. Her legs refused to work properly and she leans against Jeremie for support. He puts an arm around her waist and looks at the watch on his other hand.

"Almost two in the morning. This is the latest you've ever stayed up isn't it? I'm not bothered, this is early for me thanks to the materialization program." Jeremie chuckles. "Actually, this isn't late at all for you! You used to not need sleep."

"Yeah it is. Dancing takes it out of me for sur-woah!" Aelita stumbles and almost falls into the ground. Jeremie immediately catches her and she murmurs her gratitude. They walk through the now-quiet path towards Kadic Academy and the wondrous item known as a bed. "Good night Jeremie. It was a wonderful evening and thanks so much for the necklace. I love it."

"You're always welcome. I had an amazing time as well." Jeremie brushes a hair behind her ear. Aelita gives a lingering hug and another kiss on the cheek to Jeremie before collapsing on her bed and immediately drifting into oblivion.

**-End Flashback-**

Aelita snaps out of her reverie and moans in frustration. "Another ten minutes gone and I still haven't made any progress. This sucks." She throws herself back into the packing with a frenzy, never noticing the blue eyed boy who had gazed in wonder at her beauty through the slightly ajar door while she looked in the mirror.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer-** I can't afford the plane tickets to France. No, I don't own Code Lyoko.

A gleam of the dying sun filters into Aelita's eyes and she snaps awake from her nap. Yawning, she sits up from the bed and looks at the two suitcases neatly stacked by the door. _Finally done! And my room is clean to boot._ _Almost forgot what the color of the carpet was._ A sudden growl from her stomach reminds Aelita she hadn't eaten yet today. "Oh shoot! Hopefully I can still make dinner." She looks in the mirror to fix her hair before grabbing her purse and bolting through the door.

She reaches the cafeteria just as the sun bids its farewell for another evening. Unfortunately the deserted tables and locked doors rebuff Aelita's search for nourishment. Stomping her foot, she yells in frustration. "Well Aelita, you do temper tantrums very well." The voice bubbles into laughter as Aelita jumps into the air before spinning around.

"Je-Jeremie! How did you find me?" she stammers out as her fright recedes.

"I know you too well. Since you weren't in your room I figured you'd be looking for something to eat." Jeremie laughs again. "You do love food a lot. Get your packing done?"

"Of course I do. Eating is one of my favorite things about being human. Yes I did, finally! Got sidetracked by a little memory trip but it worked out." Aelita runs a hand through her hair as Jeremie doesn't respond and stares at her. A slow blush creeps up her neck under his scrutiny. "Jeremie, why are you staring?"

Jeremie shakes himself out of the trance while he blushes as well. "I-I…well never mind. Seeing as you're still hungry want to grab a bite to eat in town?" Aelita nods her agreement and puts her hand in his. A cool breeze rustles the verdant treetops as the couple fades into the city lights ahead of them.

Odd switches off his music and looks over at Ulrich staring at the ceiling. "Hey Ulrich, where is everyone? I'm bored after finishing packing." The hyper boy swings legs over the side of the bed and gives an expectant glance towards Ulrich.

"I don't have a clue. Yumi's still packing as far as I know. Jeremie said something about finding Aelita and that was a good hour ago." Ulrich smirks at the thought of their shy friend finally doing something about the year of hesitancy.

Odd laughs at Ulrich's expression. "Think Jeremie will get lucky tonight?" Ulrich reaches over and punches him on the shoulder before replying.

"Doubt it. I think he's waiting for Hawaii. He's such a hopeless romantic." A gleam sparks in Odd's eyes at Ulrich's response.

"Just like yourself Ulrich? Borrow a page from Jeremie's book and try something with Yumi this week." Ulrich glares at Odd before considering the idea while Odd continues talking. "I'll be out one of my main sources of entertainment if you and Jeremie get the girls. Never mind, I think I'll find even more stuff to make fun of. "

"Most likely you'll be able to make more wisecracks than ever Odd. We'll see how the week goes. For now, I need to relax and get some rest before we head out tomorrow morning." Ulrich stands up and grabs his bag and towel before walking to the door. "I'm headed to the shower; try not to break anything while I'm gone." Odd waves his hand at Ulrich before putting the headphones back on.

Aelita twines the last bit of pasta into her mouth from the now clean plate and pats her stomach. "Wow, that was excellent." Jeremie smiles in response and laughs to himself. "What? What did I do?" she asks after swallowing the last morsel.

"Oh nothing, I love your enthusiasm for life." He stabs another meatball and chews on it. Aelita compares her empty dishware to Jeremie's full helping of spaghetti.

"You need to eat faster." she teases. "If you can't keep up with me when I'm eating what else can you keep up with me in?" She clutches her sides in laughter as Jeremie chokes on the meatball in response to her statement. He coughs and gulps a drink of water before glaring at Aelita.

"Hey! I thought you were the innocent one here." he jokes. She smiles innocently in response and Jeremie chuckles. "Okay, you're good at faking it but you're definitely not an angel." Her smile becomes an impish smirk and she nods.

"Never said I was an angel. You won't find out how much of the devil I have quite yet though." His eyebrows rise on his forehead at that. Aelita hides her blush by picking up the dessert menu. "I'm still hungry; what do you think of a piece of cheesecake?" She looks over the menu at Jeremie.

"No problem. Get whatever you want." Aelita asks the waiter for the cheesecake while Jeremie goes back to work on his food. Within a couple minutes the cheesecake arrives with elegant cherry sauce drizzled on top. Aelita immediately plies fork to the dessert and her face lights up to the deliciously smooth taste. "Here, try it." She breaks off a piece and holds it towards Jeremie, who bites it off the fork and nods his agreement of how good it is.

"Definitely a great choice." Jeremie motions to the waiter for the check while Aelita absorbs herself in the food. He pays and then notices the plate is wiped clean once again. Laughing, Jeremie says, "Well you definitely enjoyed that as usual. Let me know if you find anything you love more than food." Aelita smiles and blushes as a thought appears in her mind. _I might already have found it._

His face gains a curious expression at Aelita's red countenance. "Interesting, wonder what that was for?"

"Nothing at all. Just a thought." Aelita laughs to cover her embarrassment. "Now if you don't mind, let's head back. We need our rest for tomorrow. By the way, how much was the check?"

"It doesn't matter since you're not paying. Let's go." Aelita sighs at his chivalry but accepts it anyway. _He really will do anything for me._ They stand up, thank the waiter, and head for the door.

Arriving back at Aelita's room, she turns to look at Jeremie. "You like me a lot, don't you?" Her plain-spoken question freezes him in place. Even though she knows his answer butterflies still flutter in her stomach. _I finally asked him in a way that demands a response._ For a few seconds Jeremie roams his sapphire eyes across her face and then gazes into her emerald eyes.

Without any embarrassment or stuttering, Jeremie replies, "Yes. I always have ever since our first meeting." Aelita moves a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear but Jeremie reaches it first. She holds his hand in place while a wistful smile crosses her face.

"Well, I've always liked you since that moment too. Wouldn't you say it's fair to get the princess after rescuing her a couple hundred times?" Jeremie chuckles and pulls her closer to him.

"Now I'm curious; what exactly do I get as a reward?" Jeremie asks with a malicious glint in his eyes. Aelita's breathing quickens and she leans forward.

Aelita smirks and whispers into his ear. "That depends. How good are you at charming me?" Her low laugh is cut off as Jeremie softly meets her lips with his own. Aelita twines her hands in his hair and closes her eyes before giving herself over to the feeling of their lips meeting. She returns the kiss with a lack of experience but she knows Jeremie doesn't care whatsoever. Aelita melts into him as the kiss deepens. Suddenly a loud cough shakes the two out of the haze of sensation. They break apart ruefully and look at a chuckling Jim. Aelita shakes her head in disappointment. _Of course my first kiss would get interrupted. Figures._

"Ah, Belpois and Stones! Sorry for interrupting your moment but the curfew is in place. Even if summer is around you kids still need your rest. And by rest I mean sleep only! By the way, thanks for letting me win my little bet with your friend Della Robbia." Aelita and Jeremie glance at each other in confusion and look back at Jim.

"Bet?" the two echo.

Jim nods. "We had a little disagreement and Della Robbia tried to weasel his way out with a proposal. I was bored and took him up on it. He said that Stern and that other girl that hangs with you would hook up before you two. Watching you two little lovebirds walking around, I placed my trust with you. Thanks for not proving me wrong. Now if you don't mind, you two head to your respective beds. I'm going to devise a nice little punishment for Della Robbia." Jim turns around and strolls away.

The couple stands thunderstruck while Jim whistles his way down the corridor. Aelita glances at Jeremie and knows he's thinking exactly what she is. "Odd is totally going to die. Painfully." she says. Jeremie nods his agreement.

"Well, there will be plenty of ways to arrange his death in Hawaii." Aelita laughs and rests her head on his chest while envisioning all the mishaps that could occur. His arms snake around her waist and she sighs in contentment. "Looks like you better get some rest. We have to be up bright and early tomorrow." Aelita stifles a yawn and hugs him tighter.

"But it's too comfortable here." she replies. Jeremie smiles before pulling her through her door and setting the pink haired girl on the bed. "Never mind, this is better." Aelita murmurs while snuggling closer to Jeremie. A few minutes pass and Aelita soon slips into summer dreams. Jeremie kisses her forehead before silently disentangling himself from her and sneaking out the door.

Ulrich snaps awake as the door bangs open and an ecstatic Jeremie walks in. "Hey! What's the big deal?" he complains. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Ulrich grins knowingly at the pacing boy. "Ahh… I think Aelita made you happy. How'd it go?"

"Awesome." Jeremie replied. "Where's Odd?" Ulrich looks over at the empty bed and shrugs. Jeremie laughs and Ulrich gazes at him with confusion. "Oh nothing. I'm just going to hurt Odd next time I see him."

"Why?" Ulrich asks before stretching and standing up.

"He made a little bet with Jim to get out of a punishment. Odd bet Yumi and you would hook up before Aelita and me. I'm happy to say Jim won." Ulrich laughs before blushing slightly at "losing."

"Wait until Aelita and Yumi vent their anger." The two boys laugh at that scene. "So, how was your night with Aelita then?"

Jeremie descends into the memory of the kiss before responding. "It was…unbelievable. Dinner was great and then the kiss was…even better. Except for Jim interrupting us I have no complaint." Ulrich winks then makes shooing motions at Jeremie.

"Lovestruck then? Congratulations, it's about time. Sorry about Jim but you'll find some uninterrupted time soon enough. Now I need some sleep for the trip tomorrow; so leave please." Jeremie bids good night and heads back for his room. Ulrich flips off the light and buries his head in the pillow. Right before sleep claims him the door bangs open once more. "Arghh, am I ever going to get any sleep tonight?" Ulrich screams.

"Sure you will once I get in bed." Odd replies instantly. "What's the big deal?" He flips off his shoes and flops on the bed while Ulrich glares at him.

"My first attempt at sleep was blocked by Jeremie and the second by you. Guess the third time will be the charm." Odd raises his eyebrows at Ulrich's complaint.

"Why did Jeremie visit?" he asks.

Ulrich sniggers. "He explained to me that Jim has a nice little punishment waiting for you." Odd slaps himself in the forehead and groans.

"You must be joking. He actually kissed Aelita? Wait, how did he know about that bet?"

"Yes he did unfortunately for you. Jim interrupted their kiss and told them about it. I'd try to avoid those two this whole week." Odd puts his face in his pillow and mumbles something. "What was that?"

Odd looks up before continuing. "Jim interrupted their first kiss? Great. I'm so dead. Good night Ulrich; I'm going to enjoy my last peaceful bout of rest before I have to face Aelita in the morning. She was waiting a year for that and Jim ruined it." Both boys close their eyes and drift into dreams.

Aelita's alarm sends an annoying rhythm of music into her tired brain and she groans. _Why do we have to get up at 9…stupid international flights._ Rubbing her sore neck, she sits up and thinks of the evening before. A sweet smile crosses her face before she grabs her outfit for the flight. A simple pink t-shirt and blue jeans will serve her in comfort for the long ride.

A knock at her door causes Aelita to quickly pull her shirt on and call, "Who is it?"

An extremely familiar voice replies, "Who do you want it to be?" Aelita opens the door to spy Jeremie's smiling face. She rushes into his arms.

"I want it to be you of course Jeremie. Good morning!" Aelita tightens her hug and then steps back. "I see you're not awake yet. Then again neither am I." The two yawn simultaneously and laugh.

Jeremie looks down at her. "I'm surprised you got up with your alarm. Half the time you ignore it somehow." Aelita smirks.

"What can I say? I love eating and sleeping; I'm a typical teenager indeed. As for you I bet you didn't sleep much more than a couple hours." Aelita frowns at how little Jeremie has slept this year.

"You got me there. I spent most of my night staring at the ceiling and thinking about you." Aelita releases a purr of affection and Jeremie laughs at the human cat in his arms.

"Remember how I mentioned what you get depends on how well you charm me?" Aelita asks. Jeremie nods and a grin grows on his face at what immediately followed that statement the previous evening. "Well you need to work on that; only a hug for you today!" she teases. His sudden scowl makes her laugh hysterically. "I wa-ahaha! St-stop that!" His nimble fingers find her ticklish spot and she finds herself utterly at his mercy. After a few seconds he pulls away and she gasps for breath. "As I was trying to say there, I'm just kidding. You're doing very well on the charm scale."

"So I'm assuming I do get another taste of you?" Jeremie asks while leaning closer. Aelita winks and closes her lips on his. Time ceases to have meaning as the kiss deepens in desire and intensity. Finally Aelita breaks away, gasping for air. _What is this? Why does a simple kiss make thinking so hard?_ She shakes her head as the emotions recede from her beleaguered brain.

"What's wrong?" Jeremie asks. Aelita immediately places a finger on his lips to shush him.

"Nothing you did; the kiss was amazing. The rush of emotions shocked me is all." Understanding bursts in Jeremie's eyes.

"I keep forgetting you haven't been human all that long. You're a natural at it. Trust me; the emotions are a bit crazy for me as well. Let's grab your stuff and head for the cafeteria. I think we have time to nab breakfast before heading to the airport." Jeremie grabs the big suitcase while  
Aelita takes her purse and the other luggage.

They walk into the sparsely populated cafeteria and sit next to a clearly exhausted Ulrich. "Let me guess, Odd woke you up again?" Jeremie asks as he sets the suitcase down beside the chair.

"Yes…and then he snored all night. I know what I'm doing on the plane." Ulrich mumbles. He takes another sip of the hot coffee in front of him. "Speaking of Odd, what exactly are you two going to do to him?" Aelita and Jeremie share a glance before the pink haired girl speaks up.

"Oh nothing much. One night in Hawaii he's going to find himself wishing that he wasn't a deep sleeper." Jeremie chuckles at the possibilities. "Until then we're going to let him fret himself into a frenzy about what we have planned." Aelita steals a drink of Ulrich's coffee and ignores his resulting glare.

Odd crashes through the door and immediately comes to a halt. Jeremie and Aelita calmly stare at him while Odd runs a nervous hand through his hair. "Good morning gang. How is everyone?" he says before gulping in panic.

"We're fine. Now sit down and join us for coffee. Or should I say Ulrich's coffee." Aelita takes another sip while the original owner of the coffee buries his face in his hands. Odd hesitantly sits down then snatches the cup out of Aelita's hands for a drink.

"Get your own already. There's some up there! You have a boyfriend; use him." Ulrich whines to Aelita. She laughs and motions for Jeremie to get a cup. He kisses her before replying with, "Yes my princess, I obey." Jeremie gets up and pours coffee while Yumi finally arrives.

"Sorry guys, packing took way longer than expected. I see no one's alive yet. By the way Odd, Ulrich let me know about your little bet. What did Jim assign you?" Yumi asks while sitting at the last available chair and taking a sip out of the communal coffee cup. Jeremie sets a fresh cup in front of Aelita and returns to his seat next to her. Ulrich seizes the chance for revenge and takes a gulp of the fresh coffee. Spitting it immediately out onto the ground, he moans in pain at his burnt tongue. The gang breaks into hysterical laughter.

"I don't know. I've been avoiding him." Odd replies after everyone calms down. "We ready?" Everyone nods and picks up their gear. After a half hour on public transit, the teenagers finally enter the bustling airport. Aelita stares in wonder at the crowds and huddles closer to Jeremie. Passing through security goes by surprisingly fast and before she can collect her bearings Aelita stands in front of the gate. She turns to Jeremie and asks, "So we wait here until we get called onto the plane?" Jeremie nods at her and strikes up a conversation to pass time.

The flight attendant calls their section and the group stands up as one. Their sluggish walk towards the gate strikes the attendant as a group of zombies burdened with a bit too many accessories and she laughs under her breath. Aelita takes everything in through her emerald eyes as they get on the plane and put the carry-ons above them. Ulrich immediately straps in and closes his eyes while Yumi pulls out a book beside him.

Aelita feels tiredness slip over her and she closes her eyes while resting against Jeremie's shoulder. The plane engines start up and her eyes pop back open. "Wow, those are loud. How do we sleep?"

"They're mostly this loud just during takeoff. You'll get used to them soon enough once we're in the air." Jeremie replies as the plane gains speed on the landing strip. Aelita feels her stomach drop somewhere by her ankles when the plane breaks free of gravity's grip and becomes one with the sky. _Here I go to a wondrous land. This week will be beyond amazing!_ She puts her hand around Jeremie's and stares with rapt attention at the rapidly receding land below her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer - **I'm grounded by my parents. So I can't get the patent for Code Lyoko. I obviously don't own Code Lyoko.

The plane shakes violently due to some turbulence and Aelita snaps awake with a cry of surprise. She tightens her grip on the warm pillow under her head and hears a grunt. "Oops. Sorry Jeremie, I forgot I was borrowing your chest." She sits up in the seat and wonders how long she was out. According to the screen in front of her they were still only halfway there. Jeremie rubs his sore ribs and takes off his glasses to clean them.

"You definitely have a strong grip Aelita." Jeremie puts his glasses on and spies Yumi fast asleep on Ulrich's shoulder. "Psst, look at the other two lovebirds." Aelita chuckles at the stereotypical scene Ulrich and Yumi were in. _Well we can't really talk; we did the same thing._ Jeremie yawns and grabs his water bottle. Aelita snatches it out of his hands and chugs the last bit remaining. "You seriously need to stop doing that. Or do I have to join with Ulrich against your liquid stealing skills?" Aelita struggles to contain her laughter at that but fails miserably. Jeremie sighs and comments, "Odd clearly has corrupted you." He smirks before continuing. "I could get used to this."

Aelita punches him on the shoulder. "Hey now. Don't be talking to your girlfriend like that. There could be consequences."

"Consequences? Like what exactly?" Aelita glares at him and crosses her arms over her chest. Jeremie puts his hands up and relents. "Okay I see your point." Jeremie rummages through the backpack under his seat and pulls out a book.

Aelita smiles as Jeremie loses himself inside yet another fantasy world. _It makes perfect sense really. That's where he found me._ Remembering Jeremie was still thirsty, she motions to the flight attendant. "Excuse me; could you bring me a bottle of water please?" The flight attendant smiles at Aelita's politeness and replies, "Certainly ma'am." Jeremie doesn't notice the exchange with his mind otherwise occupied by the words in front of his face.

The attendant hands Aelita the bottle of water. "Thank you very much. Here you go Jeremie." She shakes his shoulder and he looks up. Jeremie downs half the offered water bottle.

"Thanks Aelita." She leans her head on Jeremie's shoulder again. _Who cares if it looks silly? I like it. He's comfortable too._ Aelita closes her eyes and daydreams about Hawaii before dreams replace her fantasies. Jeremie looks up from his book at her peaceful face and wonders how this girl chose him. He glances over at Ulrich just in time to see Yumi and Ulrich snap apart with crimson faces. A smile lights up Jeremie's face at how life never ceases to surprise. A familiar snicker from behind him lets Jeremie know Odd noticed the drama.

Fantasy claims Jeremie's attention for the next few hours. He closes the book and looks out the window at the ocean beneath them. A hand to his face reminds him that Aelita is awake. "Why do you always hit me in some way when you wake up?" he asks.

"Sorry again. Guess I just can't keep my hands off you." Aelita teases before stretching like a cat in the seat. Jeremie laughs and kisses her while she has her eyes closed then immediately breaks away. He looks innocently out the window while Aelita stares at the side of his head.

"Hey! Not fair. If you're going to do that at least give me a chance to respond." Aelita complains. The fasten seat belt sign winks on and the pink haired girl cheers to herself while the surrounding people turn to look at her.

"Wow, you definitely are enthusiastic. Don't think I've ever heard of someone cheering for a seat belt sign." Jeremie replies. A flicker of green appears in the corner of his eye and he turns to look at land through the window. "We're almost there. Ughh we're going to be so dead tonight thanks to the jetlag." Aelita gives him a shrug before rocking in her seat with excitement. Jeremie smirks at her childish display of emotion and yanks his worn backpack from beneath the seat.

The plane descends towards Maui and an air of anticipation fills the cabin. A rustle of activity spreads throughout the aisle while the pilot speaks about the surface conditions at their destination. "It's sunny for a couple days with a chance of rain later on this week. The temperature is currently 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Thanks for choosing our flight and enjoy your time in Maui." With a shudder the aircraft relinquishes its ability to fly and becomes gravity bound once more. Aelita fidgets impatiently as the plane taxis to the gate and connects. She stands up and cracks her knuckles then pulls out the suitcase above her.

Jeremie slings the backpack over his shoulder before slipping his hands around Aelita's waist. She sighs and leans into him while he buries his face in Aelita's sweet smelling hair. Their moment ends as they slip into the aisle and wait for the people in front to pass out of the plane. "Jeremie, where are we staying?" the curious girl asks while passing through the gate into Kahului airport.

Odd, Yumi, and Ulrich join them in the customs line while Jeremie explains the logistics of the trip. "My dad got us reservations for the WorldMark hotel in Kihei. It's only about twenty-five minutes away from here. I'm pretty sure there's a beach directly across from the hotel and there will be plenty of stuff to do on Maui. Tonight the only thing I'm planning on doing is relaxing in the pool a little." Aelita chuckles to herself at the thought of finally showing the swimsuit off and Jeremie gives her a questioning look.

"Nothing." she replies. Aelita reaches the customs official and presents the required identification. After explaining their purpose for visiting was vacation, the group is waved on through. Odd scratches his head and asks the question that was puzzling him. "Wait. You said you wanted to relax in the pool tonight Jeremie? Are you joking? The ocean is right there!" The others voice their agreement.

Jeremie looks abashed. "You have a point. The ocean slipped my mind completely. Guess I looked at it too much on the flight. So let's get unpacked, relax, and head to the beach at say 9 pm local time?" Ulrich nods tiredly before speaking up.

"I don't know about the rest of you but I need a bit more sleep. What time is it now anyway?" Jeremie looks at the flight board as they pass.

"It's nearly 5. You have time for a nap if you need it." Jeremie replies. The group engages in idle chitchat while they wait for the luggage to appear at baggage claim. Aelita spies hers first and motions to her boyfriend to grab the pink suitcase. He doesn't respond. Odd elbows Jeremie in the side and points toward Aelita, who starts tapping her foot. "Might want to grab that suitcase Jeremie." he advises.

"Huh? Wha-oh. Sorry Aelita, I spaced out there." Jeremie snaps out of his trance and pulls the rectangular object off the whirring conveyor belt. The rest of their suitcases follow in short order. Yumi and Aelita whistle while the boys drag the majority of the load behind them. Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremie exchange glances before glaring at the two nonchalant girls in front of them. "What are we, beasts of burden?" Odd whines.

"Yes!" Yumi and Aelita reply simultaneously before dissolving into giggles. "That's what men are on this earth for after all." Yumi continues with a smirk. Aelita hits her lightly on the shoulder and Yumi raises an eyebrow.

"What? You can't expect me to let you malign Jeremie. That's my job." Aelita replies before laughing again. "On second thought go ahead. I'm amused either way." Jeremie pulls out the money his dad had wired him the day before and steers the girls towards a waiting taxi. Aelita stops to take a deep breath of the island air and closes her eyes. The Lyoko gang freezes to watch the pink haired girl bask in the stimuli of Maui. A breeze ruffles her hair and Aelita dazzles Jeremie with an ephemeral beauty before the wind dies and she turns to him with her green eyes shining.

Jeremie drops the suitcases from his suddenly numb hands and stares at her. Odd chuckles at the two as he guesses what comes next. Aelita smirks at the sound and gives Odd a look that clearly states "I don't care what you think." She runs into the shell-shocked boy's arms. Losing all sense of where she is besides in his embrace, Aelita looks up at his sapphire eyes. Thought ceases to exist as he softly caresses her lips with his. Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi start loading the luggage into the taxi while waiting for the enamored couple to finish.

After a minute of softly passionate kissing, the two mutually decide to continue on with the actual vacation. Aelita leans her head against his chest to hide her slight blush at that public display of affection. "Thanks for the vacation Jeremie." she whispers.

"No problem princess. Now I think we need to get to the hotel; the others look impatient." Jeremie grabs her hand and the two run for the taxi while Odd threatens to have the driver take off without them.

Aelita stares in wonder out the window at the varied terrain of Maui. From a volcano to a lush tropical rainforest to grassy plains, Maui offers it all. Nature resonates within the girl as her bright green eyes drink everything in. The twenty minute ride passes by in an instant and Aelita sighs with disappointment before mentally slapping herself. _I have an entire week to explore this island; why am I sad?_

The taxi pulls up and the group gets the luggage out of the car while Jeremie pays the driver. Aelita gasps at the cute little condos of WorldMark and turns around to spy the ocean distantly crashing on the nearby beach. She jumps in the air with delight and almost runs straight for the beach without bothering to unpack or change into a swimsuit. Jeremie senses her mood and playfully pinions her to him by grabbing her arms. "Easy there girl. We agreed on 9." he teases.

"Oh fine. Let's go see our rooms shall we? Don't forget you guys get the luggage again." Yumi and Aelita share a high five and head to check in. Jeremie leaves Odd and Ulrich to cart the luggage in while he pulls out the reservation details. After a few minutes of explanation and a call from Jeremie's dad, the concierge grudgingly hands over the keys. "You have 213 and 214; guys to one and girls to the other. Enjoy your stay here on Maui. A folder on the desk in your rooms contains any information you will need for scheduling trips or planning a trek."

"Thank you very much!" The three run outside to a glum-looking Ulrich and Odd and help cart the luggage up the stairs to their rooms. Aelita pauses in front of 213 and looks down at the shining pool and hot tub amidst the palm trees. _I could spend plenty of time there. Or preferably at the beach across the parking lot._

Aelita and Yumi wave goodbye to the boys before heading into their room and gasping with delight. It seemed to have all the amenities: two queen-sized beds, a television, a small kitchenette, a washer/dryer combo, and a balcony overlooking the aquamarine ocean. Yumi drops her suitcase and heads immediately for the bathroom. "I'm going to take a relaxing shower then a nap."

"Alright. I'll just sit on the balcony and stare at the beach." Aelita says before pulling open the screen door in front of the deck.

"Try not to lose yourself in the water. Jeremie prefers it when you lose yourself in his eyes." Yumi replies. Aelita smirks and laughs her agreement. _I might as well do something constructive. Unpacking time!_ _Traveling is so annoying._ Absentmindedly ruffling her hair, she unzips her suitcases and transfers the contents to the nearby dresser. The last pink top drops into the bottom drawer as Yumi steps out of the bathroom with a yawn.

"That was relaxing. Too much so; now I'm exhausted like Ulrich. Ciao." Yumi flops onto the bed and buries her face in the pillow. "Try to be quiet. I know where you sleep after all."

Aelita looks up from her kneeling position by her suitcase. "What if I sleep somewhere else?" Yumi shakes the bed with her laughter and looks over the pillow at the blushing girl.

"Ha! Not likely. You two are far more responsible than that. When did you become such a smart ass by the way?" Aelita innocently plays with her hair while staring at her Japanese friend.

"Smart ass? Who me? Never!" Aelita teases. "Honestly, probably Jeremie's fault. Odd and Ulrich had something to do with it. Plus your influence. I have corrupting friends!" Yumi gives her a thumbs up and rolls back over into the pillow.

"True we have changed you a bit. Serious sleep time for me now." Aelita sits out on the balcony and lifts her face to the blazing sun. _I could sit out here forever._ Something strikes her head and she yelps in fright. "Ow! What was that?" A sniggering sound to her right reveals Ulrich and Odd shaking with laughter on the opposite balcony. Aelita looks down at the apple by her foot and raises an eyebrow at the two. "Really? An apple? That's the best you can throw at me?"

Odd and Ulrich glance at each other. Odd speaks up. "We'd throw Jeremie at you, but he's taking a shower. I think you would like him hitting on you. I mean hitting you. Especially in his ahh… current state." Odd barks out another laugh and receives an apple to the face for his jibe. "Shit! You have a good arm Aelita." Odd replies as he rubs his forehead. Ulrich raises his hands in an "It wasn't my idea!" gesture.

Aelita closes her eyes again. "If that pun's the best you can tease me with, you deserve an apple to the face. It might teach you to eat your fruit. Now go unpack. I'm sure you haven't." Odd leans down, picks up the apple, rubs it on his shirt, and takes a bite. Ulrich buries his face in his hands. "Do you even know where that apple has been? Besides your and Aelita's head?" Odd shrugs and continues munching.

Ulrich stands up and grabs a hold of Odd's shirt. "Alright, we'll see you at 9 then. By the way, what's Yumi doing?" he asks hesitantly. Aelita opens one eye and looks at him.

"She's sleeping. Thought that was your plan?" Aelita chuckles as Ulrich yawns in response to her question. "She isn't using your shoulder as a pillow this time so you might get a better rest."

The screen door closes behind the two boys and Aelita sighs with contentment. She could finally enjoy nature by herself. Jeremie was always a pleasure to be with but she needed a little bit of time to relax without any distractions. A smile grows on her face as the gentle wind and warm sunlight cause her to fall asleep.

Yumi yawns after waking up and looks at the pink-tinged sky outside. _Beautiful sunset. We should get to the beach before it goes down._ She changes into her swimsuit before heading to the balcony to find Aelita fast asleep in the chair. Yumi shakes the pink haired girl awake. "Jere-oh. What time is it Yumi?" Aelita mumbles as her consciousness returns.

"Sorry I'm not Jeremie." Yumi winks and looks down at her watch. "Well, its 19:41 local time. So 7:41 pm? Better get ready." Aelita stretches in the chair and stands up.

"Wonder if the boys are up?" the elfin girl cranes to peek through the window of their room as she asks the question. "Looks like they're all passed out. I'll go change and you can have the pleasure of waking them up." Aelita rummages through the drawer and pulls out the pink bikini she'd wanted to wear the whole time. _Aha! Going to love Jeremie's expression tonight._

Yumi opens the door and walks to the next room. She knocks five times in rapid succession and calls out "Oy! Wake up, beach time!" A few clatters and a groan reach her ears and Jeremie cracks the door open slightly.

"Yumi! I see you're ready. Give us a few minutes and we'll be right out." Jeremie closes the door and Yumi leans against the railing to wait. She visualizes some alone time with Ulrich and the sound of the opening door reaches her ears in no time. Aelita walks out and twirls in place with a giddy glee. Yumi gives her an appraising glance. "Definitely a great swimsuit choice I picked out. You love stunning Jeremie don't you?" Aelita nods and looks down at her pink swimsuit._ It fits me nicely._

The boys file out in their swimsuits and towels slung over their shoulders. Jeremie feasts his eyes on Aelita while Ulrich surreptitiously glances at Yumi. Odd shakes his head at his friends' idiocy. "Well we're ready. Let's head to the beach!" Odd calls while grabbing Jeremie's and Ulrich's arms. The group crosses the street onto the populated beach with the ocean roaring its greeting at them.

Aelita grabs onto Jeremie's arm while relishing the gritty feeling of warm sand under her feet. "This is amazing! The pink sky and blazing sun over the ocean…!" The five stand in awe at the glorious vista in front of them. "Jeremie looks down at her.

"Ready for some fun? Woah!" Jeremie calls in surprise as Aelita gives an impish smile in return and drags Jeremie towards the ocean. Yumi hangs onto Ulrich for support while laughing at Jeremie's awkward flop into the ocean. Then again it wasn't really his fault; Aelita tripped him at the last second. A dripping hand breaks through the ocean surface and latches onto Aelita's leg. A shocked yell reaches the three on the beach as the girl tumbles beneath the waves herself.

Odd turns to Yumi and Ulrich. "Let's go, we can't let those two have all the fun!" They share smiles and sand flies into the air from their churning feet. Odd bellyflops into an upcoming wave and gets swept into Ulrich's and Yumi's oncoming bodies. The three find themselves in a soaking tangle while Aelita and Jeremie laugh from a few feet farther in. A sneaky six foot wave drives the gloating pair into the rest of their friends.

Amid the groans of five people, Ulrich speaks up. "Well I'm pretty sure this is a failure of epic proportions." Jeremie spits out a mouthful of sea water and coughs his agreement. Aelita grimaces at the salty taste in her mouth and places herself like a comfortable cat on Jeremie. The other three stand up and roughhouse in the ocean. Jeremie scoots farther back so the waves lapped at their bodies rather than engulfing their faces.

Aelita rests her sopping head on her boyfriend's chest and gazes at the sunset illuminating her friends splashing in the ocean. _What more could I ask for?_ Slowly the sun sank behind the horizon and the eternal cycle of light and dark morphed into its next phase. Aelita closes her eyes only to have them opened immediately by a wave of water crashing onto her. Odd leans down and smirks at the dripping couple.

"You can't just laze about on each other all night you know. Get in the ocean!" Aelita stands up and helps Jeremie to his feet.

"Lead the way." she replies. Twilight fades into darkness lit by the lights of Kihei as the gang laughs and plays together. A couple hours pass until the Lyoko gang staggers out of the water with exhaustion weighing upon them. Aelita smiles in contentment at the hours of horseplay. _How many times did I trip Jeremie? Eight? Nah, more like eleven._ Jeremie's glare as he walks up to her reminds her that she might have taken it a bit too far. His hard kiss on her lips ends before she can return it. Jeremie laughs at her cheated expression. "That's what you get. I don't think I've ever been underwater that much. I'm probably half salt by now." Odd and Ulrich chuckle while pulling on their shirts. Aelita reaches the edge of the pavement and picks up the towel to dry her hair off with.

"The sand on the bottom of my feet is seriously annoying. I hate the feeling." Aelita grimaces as she utters the complaint and towels off as much sand as she could. Jeremie nods his agreement before following her example with his towel. After everyone gets somewhat less damp they head back to their rooms for showers and the first night in Hawaii.

Yumi and Aelita file into their room and share glances. "Who gets the first shower?" they ask simultaneously.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors for it?" Yumi suggests. Aelita nods and picks paper while Yumi takes scissors. "Ha, too bad!" Aelita sticks her tongue out at the winner and flops onto her bed to wait her turn.

Yumi takes twenty minutes before the door opens again. Aelita stops her fidgeting and rushes into the shower the second Yumi clears it. A blessed spray of water and some soap removes the annoyance of sand. _This was definitely a great first evening. Hopefully the rest of the week is better! _She tiptoes out of the bathroom and past Yumi's prone form to her bed. Curling into her usual lump under the covers, Aelita drifts immediately into sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer -** I haven't figured out all the bugs in my program to take over Moonscoop. No, I don't own Code Lyoko.

A soft ray of light sifts through the curtain and lands on Jeremie's face. With a groan the blonde snaps his blue eyes open and looks at the clock. A red 10:23 stares back and he shakes his head at their late start. Then again the specter of jet lag is far less fearsome with all the rest they've gotten so far. Jeremie sits up and glances at the two still forms of Ulrich and Odd. _Might as well shower before they get up._ Suppressing a yawn, the boy sneaks to his dresser and grabs all the supplies he needs. He walks out ten minutes later with a spring in his step and a demanding pit in his stomach. _Wonder what's for breakfast. I mean lunch._

Jeremie saunters past the table to a lump of covers on the floor. Not sure where Odd's head is, the boy lightly kicks the left side. "Ow!" Odd groggily replies and pops his head up where Jeremie's foot just was.

"Sorry Odd. Couldn't figure out where your head was. Get up, it's almost 11." Odd clambers out of his cocoon while Jeremie nudges Ulrich awake. Noticing this, Odd complains "Why did you use your foot on me?"

"He slept out of his covers. You on the other hand were a ball. I had to do something." Jeremie retorts.

"What are you two arguing about now?" Ulrich asks sleepily. "Never mind. I'll take the first shower then." He slings a towel over his shoulder and walks into the bathroom. Odd stretches and punches Jeremie on the shoulder in his usual morning greeting.

"You should go over and wake up Aelita. We both know she's still sleeping." Odd suggests. Jeremie chuckles at his lazy girlfriend and nods. He grabs two glasses of orange juice from the sparsely packed fridge. _Aelita is a sucker for orange juice. It never fails._ Jeremie opens the door and steps out into the bright Hawaiian sunlight. He stops on the railing for a moment to observe the breathtaking beauty of the aquamarine ocean sparkling with countless gems of light.

Taking a sip of the tangy juice, Jeremie knocks hesitantly on the girls' door. "Who is it?" Yumi calls.

"Jeremie. She up yet?" he replies. The door cracks open and Yumi greets him with a smile and a quiet laugh.

"You know her. Of course not. I'll let you do the honors." Jeremie slips into the room and raises his eyebrows at the spotless space. _Aelita actually put stuff in the dresser? She's getting better._ The warm sunshine illuminates every corner of the room except for the space under the covers where Aelita slumbers in oblivion. Jeremie sets the juice down on the granite countertop and notices Yumi had slipped out the door to visit the boys. _And give me some alone time with Aelita of course._ He sneaks up and slowly pulls the covers off to reveal Aelita curled into a tiny ball in her black pajamas.

She stirs and a frown creases her face. Jeremie places a hand lightly on her forehead. A small murmur escapes her lips and the lines of worry fade from her skin. He spends a couple minutes watching her sleep before deciding it was time to start enjoying Maui. Jeremie deftly strikes Aelita in the ticklish spot on her side and falls away from the bed in laughter at her immediate reaction. "Jer-what? Don't do that!" she admonishes while gathering her bearings and frowning at the peals of laughter from the boy on the floor.

_Two can play at that game._ Aelita jumps out of bed and tickles Jeremie in revenge. A smile widens on her face as he squirms under her mercy. Or lack of it. Finally his arms reach up and pinion her attacking hands to her sides. "Done now?" he gasps in relief.

"Well that depends. You have to charm me as usual." Aelita replies with a smirk. Jeremie cradles her face with a hand and smiles into her eyes. Thankfully Aelita doesn't resume her attack with the now-free hand.

"That will be easy. I can curl you around my thumb." Aelita raises an eyebrow at that then shrugs.

"Hey now. I'm not that weak. I could take you." she retorts.

"Oh really? I know you could take me when I fight fair. But as X.A.N.A. once knew I don't play by the rules." Jeremie kisses her and laughs against her lips at her sudden lack of resistance. The two enjoy the sweet moment alone for another minute and break away panting slightly. "See? What did I tell you?"

"You have a point my prince. Now I need to get changed into my swimsuit so leave." Aelita stands up and spies the cups sitting on the counter. "Orange juice!" She lets out a cry of delight and sips the delicious liquid while Jeremie watches with shining eyes.

"You really are too easy to mess with. Only orange juice and a kiss and it seems you'll do anything." Jeremie teases. Aelita blushes slightly and sets the empty cup on the table. The pink haired girl kisses him while slowly dragging him to the door. Lost in the sensation, Jeremie doesn't notice and finds himself with the taste of orange juice on his mouth and a wooden door closing in his face. The sound of feminine laughter reaches him from the other side. Jeremie sighs and heads back over to see how Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi were doing.

He walks back in to find Odd listening to music on the bed and the other two nowhere to be seen. "Hey Odd. Ulrich and Yumi out on the balcony?" Jeremie asks before flopping into a nearby chair.

"Yeah. I think they're taking a page out of your and Aelita's book." Odd replies before playing the air guitar to whatever song is blasting into his head.

Jeremie chuckles in the chair. "About time really. I woke Aelita up so she's getting ready now. Any idea on what we want to do today?"

Odd shrugs. "Probably the beach. Nothing special so we can enjoy ourselves and use today to get used to this place. I'm feeling like some beach volleyball so I'm going to hunt for a volleyball. Plus some food. There's fruit in the refrigerator but we'll need more than that. I must admit the mangoes are delicious though." He takes another bite out of the fruit in question before grooving to the door and walking out. A growl in Jeremie's stomach sends him to the plate of fruit on the counter. _Mango? Wonder how it is._

The teen finds the yellowish fruit quite delicious and steadily munches away while he waits for either his girlfriend or the two on the balcony. Jeremie contemplates the vacation so far while sipping a cold glass of milk and decimating the fruit pile. The clattering of a screen door snaps Jeremie out of his feasting and he looks down at a nearly empty plate. _Oops, I pulled an Odd._

Ulrich and Yumi walk out holding hands. Jeremie smirks at that and greets the two. "Good morning. How is everything?" he asks.

"Oh fine. What's the story for today?" Yumi asks.

"I think just the beach all day. Odd went to go find some food and I finished off the fruit. Aelita's still getting ready or she fell asleep again. With her I wouldn't be surprised if she did." Jeremie replies. Ulrich chuckles.

"Sounds fine to me. I could get used to lazing about by the ocean." Ulrich yawns and puts a hand around Yumi's waist. She laughs and whispers something to him. Jeremie looks at the two with a confused expression that changes into shock as a sudden weight lands on his back and arms wrap around his neck.

"Hi Jeremie." Aelita whispers into his ear.

Jeremie laughs. "I see you're ready then. You've gotten better at sneaking up on me. Hungry?" A slight growl from her stomach answers his question. He walks to the counter and Aelita slips off of his back onto the chair before looking at him expectantly. "You're going to have to wait. I ate all the fruit and Odd went out to buy some stuff." Aelita pouts in disappointment just as Odd walks in carrying a few bags.

"Perfect timing! I'm hungry." Aelita says while rifling through the supplies and yanking out an apple. The sound of munching accompanies the unloading as the group helps themselves to some breakfast while Jeremie puts stuff away. Once everyone eats their fill Odd leans down to the last bag and pulls out a volleyball.

"Who is ready to get their butts kicked?" he taunts while spinning the orb in his hands.

Feeling rather full after breakfast, the crew heads towards the beach to spend a fine day enjoying the outdoors. A few fleecy clouds roam the sky and the sun pours down on the people lazing on the beach. Ruffling Aelita's hair, a light breeze takes the slight edge off of the heat and creates a perfect day to spend in the sand and sea.

"Volleyball first before we get worn out like last night? We have five people so what do we do with the teams?" Yumi asks. Jeremie and Aelita look at each other then turn to Odd.

"It's up to Odd. We can start with a couple's game and work out teams after that or start with all of us. Want to be our referee?" Jeremie asks. Odd rolls his eyes before nodding and walking to the side of the markers for the volleyball boundaries.

"This ought to be good. Ulrich and Yumi versus Jeremie and Aelita. Place your bets! Place your bets!" Odd wisecracks. "In all seriousness I feel bad for you Jeremie. This won't end well for you two." Aelita sticks her tongue out at him and high fives Jeremie for support. The four combatants glare at each other through the net. Ulrich moves to the serving line and hefts the ball into the air. Particles of sand glimmer as they fall off the ball before Ulrich impacts it towards the other side of the net.

Jeremie dives for the incoming missile and knocks it straight into the air before enjoying a face full of sand. Aelita soars over him and spikes the ball in midair directly at a surprised Yumi. Unable to react in time, the Japanese girl hits it into the net. "And the genii get the serve now!" Odd calls with glee. Aelita leans down to help a sputtering Jeremie up while Ulrich glumly rolls the ball to them. The two nerds share a smile and turn with renewed determination towards their friends.

Jeremie picks up the ball nervously and walks to the serving line. Aelita winks at him and waits for the serve. "Let's see what you got!" Ulrich calls. Jeremie straightens his glasses and strikes the ball underhanded towards the net. It barely clears the top and Yumi easily strikes it back over. Aelita sets it and Jeremie hits the ball back over towards Ulrich who sends the sphere into the corner. Jeremie runs back and dives once again as he hits it towards Aelita. The pinkette lobs it over and Ulrich misses the return. "What a shocker! The nerds are up by two points." Odd laughs.

The sun slides from the sky while the four battle beneath its withering glare. Odd thoroughly enjoys the even battle as the score slowly climbs. A yell of victory comes from Ulrich and Yumi as Aelita misses the final point. Jeremie helps her up while the other two perform a dance of delight. Odd walks up and bows to the winners. "25-23, excellent game. Admit it; you didn't think Aelita and Jeremie would come close." Odd says.

"True I didn't. Jeremie's gotten better at sports." Ulrich replies. "Should we do a best 2 out of 3?" Aelita sighs and looks at Jeremie.

"We have to get them back right?" she asks. Jeremie nods and turns to Odd. "Once again, it's up to you." Odd yawns and thinks for a second.

"How about this. The next game I replace Ulrich. If Aelita and Jeremie win that one, then I replace Jeremie for the final match." He trudges through the sand and waits for Yumi before anyone can voice their agreement.

"Sounds good." Ulrich says. "Play well. Those two are going down." Aelita laughs derisively at that statement. The game begins; Odd and Yumi quickly fall behind while Odd gets warmed up. A rally by the two brings the score to 15-15 before Jeremie and Aelita turn on the pressure. A grunt escapes Yumi when the net rejects her shot and her opponents cheer with victory. "Jer and 'Lita, 25-19." Ulrich calls with disappointment.

Jeremie kisses Aelita for good luck before standing on the sidelines. Another neck-to-neck brawl erupts on the sand. Both teams refuse to give an inch of ground and a grueling hour passes until the score stands at 23-23 once again. Jeremie watches with glee as Aelita spikes the ball directly into Ulrich's face and he falls backward. _Ouch. She's got an arm._ Yumi fails to salvage the point. "Hey, isn't that a bit unfair Aelita? My face isn't exactly where the ball is supposed to go." Ulrich complains.

"Put your hands up faster then." Aelita retorts before chuckling. "Get ready to lose!" Odd serves the ball over and Ulrich spikes it directly at the pink haired girl in revenge. She brings her hands up and deflects it over the net. Yumi returns the ball but Odd spikes it straight down with a spectacular leap. "Yes! I won one!" Odd yells. The five tired teens sit on the beach and stare at the ocean while trying to cool down.

"How long did we play?" Aelita pants. Jeremie looks at his watch on the pile of towels.

"A good three hours actually. That went by fast." Jeremie replies and flops onto the sand. The blue sky matches his eyes as he stares upward. Odd busies himself with doodling in the sand while the other four simply enjoy the warm sensation of sand on their backs and sunlight on their faces. Yumi leans over to the small cooler Ulrich had the foresight to bring and yanks out five bottles of water.

"Here you are. I know we're thirsty after all that." Yumi says as she throws the water to each person in turn. Actually getting up to hand them out was too much effort. A peaceful aura envelops them while the waves crash onto the sand in the background. Jeremie takes a sip of his water and closes his eyes. Deciding to be slightly cruel, Aelita takes Jeremie's ice cold bottle in one hand and hers in the other then places them on both sides of his face. A laugh emanates from her as Jeremie snaps open his eyes and rolls away. "Aelita! When did you get so mean?" he asks.

"Well… it's a gift?" Aelita replies and smiles before taking a swig of Jeremie's water.

"I saw that! You really have a problem with drinking other people's liquids." Jeremie retorts. Odd breaks into laughter and raises an eyebrow at a pink-cheeked Aelita.

"You guys really have to stop with the jokes about that. It's just one little thing I do!" Aelita complains.

"What exactly does that say about you Aelita? Hmm…" he teases. Jeremie leans over and punches him on the arm. "Oh fine, so you're the only one who can say stuff about your girlfriend?"

"Not really. I just felt like punching you." Jeremie replies while sipping his now mostly gone water. Yumi chuckles from her position on top of Ulrich's chest. The joking and conversations fade away. Aelita uses Jeremie as a pillow and listens to his heart beat in time with the water crashing onto shore. _How peaceful. Life really can't get any better than this. Except that there should be more orange juice in this world._ Apparently something about Hawaii's beaches induces sleep; the five teens quickly pass into dreams.

Aelita shrieks awake as an aberrant wave engulfs her and Jeremie. "What! Oh, we fell asleep. Brr that wave was cold." she says and sits up. The red sun barely remained above the horizon. A pink ocean roils in front of her eyes and a quick grin snaps across Aelita's face. _That is so my color._ Jeremie groans and looks at the other three still sprawled on the ground.

"What do you want to do with them?" he asks his girlfriend.

"Nothing at all. I want to laze about in the water for now. Leave them?" Aelita replies and grabs onto his hand. The two walk down to the edge of the ocean and let the waves rush over them repeatedly. A stray glimmer of the dying sunlight bathes the two in a crimson embrace. Aelita sighs at the beauty of Earth and rests her head on Jeremie's shoulder. His familiar arm snakes about her waist as the two watch the great orb sink below the horizon. Aelita chuckles under breath at the symbolism in the vista before her. Twilight invades the pink halo on the edge of the ocean until the dark blue rules the sky once more. _We truly are meant for each other._

The waves splash continuously over their legs until Jeremie whispers in her ear. "Ready to get the others and head back?" She nods against his shoulder and they rustle the other three awake.

"What? We fell asleep again? There's something about this place." Odd mutters while picking himself up. "I'm starving by the way. Let's head back to the condo for dinner. We'll go out some other night."

"Sounds like a plan." Ulrich replies while pushing Yumi off of him so he can get up. The five walk in a companionable silence and head to the boys' room for dinner. They hastily warm up some pre-cooked burgers and munch away like a pack of starving wolves. Aelita pats her stomach and looks at the others. "What now?" she asks.

Jeremie looks at her and replies, "We do have a pool and hot tub. Or the ocean again if you wish." Odd groans in distaste and heads over to his bed.

"You can count me out. I'm going to sit here and jive to my music." he states.

Ulrich and Yumi whisper to each other for a second. The Japanese girl looks at the others and says, "We're going to the beach again." They head out into the Hawaiian night.

Aelita cracks a yawn and Jeremie rolls his eyes. "There's no way you can be tired 'Lita. Seriously." Jeremie teases.

She smiles at him and nods her head towards the door. "Hot tub sound fine?" Jeremie nods and grabs the towels once more. Odd sighs with depression but immediately cheers up at the music blasting. _Looks like I'll be the one sitting around while everyone else gets to have some romantic fun. Oh well._ The door closes behind the couple and Odd closes his eyes while the beat flows through him.

A few stragglers wander the beach at this late hour but for the most part the ocean looks upon a deserted shoreline. Ulrich and Yumi rush into the saltwater and enjoy the feeling of finally being with each other. Yumi laughs and pushes Ulrich into the water. He stands up with a splutter and grabs her by the waist. She lets out a squeak of surprise as he lifts her out of the water. "Hey!"

"Hey what? You could get out of this easily you know." Ulrich says. Yumi laughs at the truth of that but does nothing.

"What if I don't want to?" she coos. Ulrich smiles while water drips from his hair onto her gorgeous face.

"That's perfectly fine with me." The two stare into each other's eyes for a long minute. Ulrich tentatively presses his lips to hers. The foamy spray of the ocean swirls about them while the stars shine above. Yumi entwines her arms around his neck and returns the kiss with passion. Their long flirtation finally ended with that kiss. Ulrich pulls away and looks at the stars reflected in her deep eyes. There was no need for words. He carries her out of the ocean and they rest on the beach in perfect bliss.

"Ouch!" Aelita yells as she quickly pulls her foot out of the steaming water. Jeremie chuckles and playfully kicks a splash at her. The pinkette jumps back a foot and glares at him. "That water is hot."

"There's a reason it's called a hot tub." Jeremie's voice drips with sarcasm and Aelita hits him on the shoulder. "There's a pool behind you if you don't like it."

Aelita gazes at the still water reflecting the shining moon. "True, but that's no fun. You're not in the pool." She puts a tentative leg in the water and leaves it in. _I'm getting used to it._ Jeremie grabs her by the waist and pulls her in. A splash ensues as Aelita writhes in the water for a couple seconds then relaxes. _This isn't bad at all. _She twists a little to find a comfortable position on her favorite pillow.

A few minutes pass peacefully; Jeremie gets bored and decides to spice the moment a little. Aelita stiffens at the feeling of his lips trailing down her neck. "Jeremie, what are you doing?" Aelita shudders as desire rises in her. She closes her eyes and leans into him while he continues. Not being able to stand it any longer the love-struck girl spins around and places a hard kiss on his lips. All rational thought flees as the kiss deepens and Aelita returns it with a passion she didn't know she had. Her hands rise to caress his face and hair. She has no idea how much time passes but one fact of knowledge stands out in her mind. _I want him._

Jeremie pulls back for a breather and looks up at the girl who so easily sent his mind spinning in every direction. A flame of desire still burned in her emerald eyes as Jeremie stares into them. He wanted to continue so badly but he knew that was not the right choice. Their emotions subside enough for outside stimuli to rush in. Aelita pulls her hands off of his face and runs one nervously through her hair. _These emotions are insanely hard to deal with._

Aelita rolls off of him and quickly exits the hot tub. Jumping into the pool with a splash, she gasps at the difference between the hot tub and the pool. The colder water frees her mind from the mist and she surfaces as her usual self. Jeremie looks at his watch and isn't surprised that twenty minutes had just disappeared. She did that to him. "Ready to call it a night Aelita?" Jeremie asks.

"Yeah. That was…well I enjoyed it immensely." Aelita laughs at his blush and pulls him out of the hot tub. A long hug expresses her feelings much better than words ever could. Jeremie smiles at her and the two head to their respective rooms. Aelita notices the empty bed and changes into her pj's before slipping under the sheets. She's asleep as soon as her eyes close.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer - **I didn't have quite enough cash to buy a majority stockholder in Moonscoop. No, I don't own Code Lyoko.

Odd snaps awake bright and early. He putters onto the balcony and gazes out at the perfect day to enjoy Hawaii. The palm trees bend in a slight breeze and the ocean sparkles invitingly. Odd spends a few minutes simply gazing at the people going about their morning activities in Kihei. Deciding to get everyone else up, Odd spins around, marches through the screen door, and jumps on the nearest sleeping bundle with a yell. The sound wakes up Jeremie and Ulrich simultaneously but Ulrich has the bad luck to be Odd's target.

"Ow! Get off me." Ulrich complains and pushes his attacker off of him. Odd flips down over the bed and lands on the ground with laughter bursting from him. The samurai growls and hits the laughing prankster with a pillow. Odd retaliates; a brawl erupts. Jeremie stretches and puts his glasses on out of habit and with curiosity at the fighting noises. His fuzzy world resolves into clarity and the sight of two rolling forms greets him.

"Really guys? This is how you say good morning?" Jeremie says while chuckling. Odd gives up after Ulrich pins him down. The brown haired boy stands up and offers the loser a hand. With a grimace Odd accepts and the two declare a truce. Jeremie rolls his eyes at their antics and flips off the covers. He stands up and immediately makes a beeline for the plate of fruit sitting on the granite countertop. "Where are the knives? I need to chop up this pineapple." Ulrich blanches at the thought of the somewhat clumsy nerd with a knife in his hand. _At least he won't reenact the shower scene from Psycho._ _Or so I hope._

Jeremie rummages through the drawers until the power of elimination rewards him with the cutlery. "Aha!" The long butcher's knife gleams in the faint morning sunlight as Jeremie raises it into the air. He brings it down on the side of the pineapple and slices off the prickly skin before removing the edible part. Repeating this process for the other three sides, Jeremie quickly disassembles the spiky fruit into yellow cubes of delicious sweetness.

The other two, relieved that no one got hurt during the fruit anatomy lesson, sit down for a nice breakfast. They finish off the first carton of orange juice and Odd moves for more but Jeremie stops him in his tracks with a glance. "Hey now, you know Aelita wants that juice." Odd chuckles and grabs the cranberry juice instead.

The clatter of plates being put into the dishwasher greets Yumi as she opens the door and walks in. Her self-control breaks once she looks at Jeremie and the Japanese girl starts laughing uncontrollably. A minute passes while she leans against the counter and the three boys stare at her in disbelief. The laughter trails off into a few giggles and Yumi finally looks up at them.

"Yumi…are you sane right now?" Ulrich asks. Yumi nods and wipes the tears of laughter off her face with her sleeve.

"Oh I'm fine. Aelita may not be once she figures it out." At this incomprehensible statement she trails off into chuckles again. Ulrich puts a hand around her waist and Jeremie looks at the two with a little concern.

"Aelita? What's going on?" Jeremie asks. Yumi barks out another laugh before running a hand through her hair and continuing.

"Well…I don't think she's noticed it yet since she's sleeping but there's ah…a mark…on her neck." Yumi winks at Jeremie. "If you know what I mean." Odd laughs at Jeremie's crimson face.

"Ah, some fun for you last night then Einstein? That explains the late entrance." Odd taunts with glee. Jeremie buries his face in his hands and looks back up with a rueful grin.

"I can't deny it. She didn't mind though." Jeremie's grin widens into a smirk. Ulrich claps him on the shoulder.

"I bet she didn't." Ulrich says while looking at Yumi. "Then again, last night was nice for me as well." He smirks at the girl in his arms and receives a punch on the shoulder for his jibe. "Aelita's reaction should be pretty interesting." Jeremie laughs and snatches the last piece of pineapple. Odd sighs at the empty plate again and pulls out another pineapple from the pile.

"I'm cutting this one Jeremie. When you use a knife I fear for my life." A slight sound of running water from their right lets them know Aelita is probably awake. The three all turn to look at Jeremie and he reddens slightly.

"Ah...Let's wait for now shall we?" Jeremie replies under their scrutiny. "She's probably taking a shower and wondering what's going on." Odd and Ulrich laugh while Yumi rolls her eyes. Jeremie walks over to the folder on the desk and browses through it. "I think snorkeling would be a fun little thing to do today. There's a boat cruise that heads out into the ocean towards a reef and we can dive and explore. If you want we can even try surfing when we get back." The other three nod their agreement. A knock sounds on the door and Odd chuckles under his breath. Yumi motions for Jeremie to open it.

He walks to the door and pulls it open to reveal Aelita. Opening his mouth to say something, Jeremie feels a hand grab his shirt and yank him out the door before it shuts behind him. Odd turns to look at Ulrich. "Well, I wonder who could've grabbed him?" he asks sarcastically.

"You're guess is as good as mine." Ulrich smirks after replying. "Think Jeremie will get back to us in one piece?" Yumi looks up at him and rolls her eyes.

"Are you kidding? I think Jeremie could do anything short of breaking up with her and she'd be perfectly fine. Aelita might be slightly upset but you know a hug from him will set it to rights." Odd laughs and Yumi amends her statement. "Okay, probably more than a hug will be needed at this point but our Jeremie won't have a problem." Yumi had her words proved right as the clattering of Jeremie inserting the keycard into the door reaches their ears.

Aelita walks in first and sends a glare at the group that promises death to anyone who decides to taunt her. Odd decides that he's already on thin ice with her already; he closes his mouth and whistles innocently. Ulrich clears his throat as Jeremie closes the door behind him.

"So, how will scuba diving work?"

Jeremie flips through the folder of information again. "Well, if we can get a guide to set us through a little training program then lead us into an easy dive then we're set really. The most common place to go is Molokini Crater." Aelita perks up in interest.

"Ooh, where's that?" she asks excitedly while tapping her fingers on the countertop.

"It's a submerged volcanic crater off of the coast of Maui and south of Ma'alaea Bay. The place attracts tons of divers and snorkelers to check out the waters, since the crescent top of the crater creates a natural shelter for people. Hold on, let me call a company that runs trips out there." Jeremie grabs the phone and swiftly descends into conversation. Aelita busies herself with the food on the table and a glass of orange juice. Jeremie listens intently to the voice on the phone before replying with a "Thank you."

Setting the phone down, he turns to look at his friends. "They had a late cancellation for their amateur training class, so we can go today in an hour. The training takes a couple hours and then a guide will lead us on the dive. We won't do much except swim a little and look around before heading back up. Actually the ship leaves in an hour; we have to get to the boat ramp in Kihei."

Odd yells with delight. "Sounds like a plan Einstein. Let's go!" he says before running around the room.

"Calm down there. You're not five years old anymore." Yumi admonishes while smiling at her friend's antics. "You're actually four." she continues as Odd starts jumping on the bed. Ulrich laughs and motions for Odd to rejoin humanity again. The blonde haired boy gets off the bed and calmly strolls to the kitchen.

Aelita and Yumi quickly head back to their rooms to grab stuff while the boys loiter outside on the passageway overlooking the pool and hot tub. Jeremie smirks as he looks down at it while the memory of last night passes through his mind. Shaking his head to dispel the memory, he contentedly looks at the Hawaiian countryside. Ulrich and Odd chat about their usual random topics.

The two girls walk out and Odd cracks a joke about how men are always waiting for the women. Aelita pulls down her pink sunglasses and stares at him before sharing a glance with Jeremie.

"Odd…remember that we still have a bone to pick with you?" Aelita says quietly. Odd nods slowly and puts his hands up. "Would you mind not talking on the way to the boat? No more jokes from you." Aelita asks sweetly with a look of pure innocence on her face. Jeremie chuckles as Odd nods vigorously.

The group heads towards the boat ramp in Kihei with the girls in front and the boys trailing a few feet behind. Odd turns to Ulrich and Jeremie and whispers, "What have we created? She's a monster!" Jeremie shrugs.

"You're the one who pissed her off. Not my fault you may end up losing your life this week." Jeremie replies.

"What about your mistake?" Odd asks.

"Mistake? She's fine with it." Jeremie replies with a wink.

Ulrich joins in. "So Casanova, Aelita's getting quite used to being human? She doesn't talk about that much…to the group in general anyway." The girls turn towards the beach and the guys follow them along the warm sand. Jeremie tears his gaze away from the pink haired teenager in front of him and tries to recall what Ulrich just said.

"Oh yes, she's doing excellent. The emotions are overcoming her once in a while but she'll get used to that." Jeremie replies as a slight blush comes into being on his cheeks. Ulrich chuckles and gives Odd a wink that says he'll do a joke where Odd is forbidden to.

"I can guess which emotions too. Would explain last night quite well." Ulrich replies. Jeremie hits him on the arm and rolls his eyes. Odd ducks with a laugh bubbling in his throat as an errant Frisbee flies through the space where his head just occupied. The three continue walking in a companionable silence. Rolling over the group, the sights and sounds of people at play and leisure all indicate another great Hawaiian day.

Upon reaching the boat, Jeremie walks up and chats with the scuba instructor for more information on how everything would be arranged. Standing on the dock, Aelita gazes at the ocean which never failed to mesmerize her. Feeling Jeremie approaching, she turns around with a smile. He stops in shock and looks at her curiously. "How'd you know it was me?"

Aelita thinks about it and shrugs. "Don't know. Just did. So, what's the story?" Jeremie grabs her hand and the two head for the cluster of people waiting in line. They slip in right in front of another large group and wave towards their three friends standing a few feet away. Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi join their place in line and wait for Jeremie to enlighten them with any knowledge he learned.

"The place we'll be diving at is an extremely popular one; the instructor looked disgruntled about that. Oh well, we'll still enjoy ourselves." The boy continues on with his lecture and becomes more animated. "There's over 250 species of fish, around 100 species of algae, and 38 species of hard corals. The visibility underwater can hit 125 feet. As far as the lesson goes our guide assured me it only takes a couple hours. He'll be with us the whole time we're diving anyway. His name is Robert by the way." Tripping over the ramp up onto the boat, Jeremie ends his speech with a muttered curse.

Aelita's hand catches him before the trip could morph into a fall. "Thanks Aelita." Jeremie stands back up and relishes the sea breeze ruffling his face. The Lyoko gang takes their places by an array of equipment and the instructor. "First timers, follow me. Everyone else will wait here." Looking at each other, the five teens trudge in the teacher's wake. "Alright, let's begin with the basics." Time flies by as the knowledge and tips for a successful dive is pressed into the pupils'

brains.

Odd flops onto the bench for a breather after a ten minute break is called. "How much more do I have to learn today? It's summer." the boy moans. Aelita joins him on the bench and sends a supporting glance his way.

"You'll be fine. Better safe than sorry." the pinkette replies. Jeremie extricates himself from the suit they had been trying on and drops it onto the floor with a thump. He walks up and sits on Aelita's right side.

"Very true 'Lita. Don't worry Odd, everything will go…swimmingly." Jeremie's mouth quirks into a smile at his lame pun. Aelita giggles while Odd rolls his eyes.

"I can do better than that. Yet Ms. Hypocrite here doesn't get angry at you?" Odd complains. Jeremie slips an arm around Aelita's shoulders and laughs.

"What can I say? I'm good at charming her." Aelita snuggles closer and murmurs her agreement. Ulrich and Yumi take up residence on the adjacent bench and enjoy the light spray flitting onto their faces from the boat's movement through rolling waves. Ten minutes flicker by without even the politeness to warn them of its passing. Odd groans at the sound of the instructor's footsteps on the deck.

Instead of continuing the lesson, Robert motions for them to look upon Molokini. "Here we are: one of the finest places to dive in the world!" he says. A crescent-shaped ridge of rock towers three hundred feet into the air while multitudes of boats and people adorn the sea nestled under the stone formation. "Now let's see if you five remember the basic stuff I taught about the equipment." he says with a grin. The clatter and shuffling of gear being put on continues for the next couple minutes.

"We're going to just start out real easy, no going underwater for now. You have to get a feel for the equipment. In you go!" Aelita jumps in with a splash as the other four follow suit. The five float and get used to the feeling of the wetsuit, flippers, and the rest of the gear. Waves lap at them while the teacher reminds them of all the basics. An hour passes as they go through a series of basic lessons. At his signal, Aelita gingerly puts on the mask. _This is more dangerous than I thought. _

"Alright, we will be under water for only an hour. Follow me, stay close to your buddy, and don't rush towards the surface if something goes wrong. I'll be here to help you." With a grin of confidence, Robert motions for them to sink below the salty waves. Each amateur pulls their inflation hose out of the buoyancy compensator device and presses the deflate button. Aelita descends into the water while trying to keep everything straight in her mind. A vision of crystal blue sea descending into blackness greets her. Bright fish flit around here and there; some of them seemingly close due to the distortion of light from the salt water. She takes a second to get used to her new hand-eye coordination. Marveling at the new experience, she looks up to see a surprisingly large Jeremie doing the same thing. The pinkette shakes her head at the illusion and drifts slightly downward.

The instructor beckons for them to follow. They stick by their buddies while they slip a few feet at a time towards the ocean floor. Some of the 250 fish species flit by them without any surprise at all; the creatures are used to the humans visiting their aquamarine world. Aelita spies a multitude of people in every direction around her, so much life contained in this one spot. A raccoon butterflyfish darts through the water past her face. _So beautiful!_ The yellow fish with black stripes seems to regard her for a second before disappearing in a hunk of pink coral below. Aelita exhales through her nose every once in a while to equalize the pressure in her mask.

After fifty feet, the instructor raises his hand to signal a stop. Each person checks their buddy for any leaks before continuing downwards. The five make a strange group as they hit a hundred feet, exhaling the whole way to prevent a burst eardrum. She looks up at the sparkling surface so far above and smiles with glee. The next hour is spent slowly following Robert and exploring the inherent beauty in the ocean. Multitudes of colored fish swim around the coral and rocks. After forty-five minutes the instructor releases the signal buoy. Aelita watches the small device float to the surface as a warning to other vessels that people were coming up.

Pointing her inflator hose up in response to Robert's ascending signal, Aelita feels herself rise towards the ocean surface. Continuing up, Robert counts to ten on his fingers to remind the others to keep the ascending speed under ten miles per hour. Just short of the surface they stop and wait. The safety stop continues for three minutes and they finally elevate through the last ten feet at a slow pace. Aelita breaks through the surface of the water and checks to make sure that she's fine. _That was amazing._

The sun beats down on the six people rolling gently in Molokini Crater. A seagull squawks overhead before diving for a fish below. Aelita yanks the mask off and relishes the feeling of being able to see straight again. _That distortion underwater was annoying; I couldn't get used to it that fast._ She follows the others to the boat and pulls herself up onto the deck along with a puddle of water. Robert checks them all to make sure there are no signs of decompression sickness or anything else.

"Excellent work; you completed your first dive with no problems. Hope you enjoyed it! We'll return once the advanced group surfaces." Robert waves before heading back to the captain's quarters. An exhausted Aelita slumps onto the bench and closes her eyes. Jeremie walks up behind her and starts rubbing her sore back. "Mm, thanks." Aelita whispers and enjoys the sensation for a few minutes. Jeremie removes his hands and jumps over the bench to sit beside her. She cracks open one eye and looks at him with an amused expression.

"You just had to jump? Being a showoff now?" she teases. He nods and kisses her gently for a few seconds. They pull away and stare out at the hustle and bustle of the other divers and tour boats. Odd falls asleep with his head resting on an oxygen canister. Yumi and Ulrich rest next to each other with eyes closed and the sun warming their skin. A salty breeze dries their hair out fairly quickly. Resting peacefully, Aelita tightens her grip on her favorite pillow.

Splashes and calls from the other side of the boat announce the return of the advanced party. Detaching from its moorings, the boat carefully navigates through the crowded area back towards Maui. Aelita dozes in the twilight stage between sleep and wakefulness as the vessel chops through the light waves. _Don't think we'll be surfing today. Dinner out and a movie sounds nice. _Breaking through her mood of peaceful solitude, a yawn brings her closer to wakefulness. The town of Kihei glows with the light of the dying crimson sun as another day gives way to night.

Aelita shakes Jeremie awake while the boat docks. Jeremie pays Robert while the other four walk down the gangplank and onto the study wooden pier. Arching her body and stretching, Aelita sighs and turns to the group. "So, where are we headed for dinner?" she asks.

Ulrich and Yumi look at Jeremie expectantly; he looks at Odd with an asking expression. Odd raises his hands and says, "Why are you looking at me?" Jeremie chuckles before replying.

"You're the walking stomach. Pick. I'm going to simply enjoy myself walking through Kihei." Jeremie slips his fingers through Aelita's and the two share a smile. Kihei had a decent number of tourists still wandering around; plenty of places offered wares or services. Aelita made a mental note to shop here with Yumi at some point this week. Odd roves across the shops with a gourmet's eye before noticing a small local seafood restaurant with mostly full tables. "There! That looks good." He exclaims and runs towards it. Jeremie shrugs and walks towards the building.

Aelita's stomach growls ferociously at the aromas drifting through the open air. Spices mingle with the tangy smell of fruit and fish. "I'm definitely hungry for some fish." Yumi says and Ulrich glances at her.

"Same here. I think we all are." Ulrich responds and pushes through the polished wooden doors. A bright and cheery room filled with conversation and the clatter of dishware greets them. The young hostess greets them with a smile and "Aloha." before guiding them to their seats. Aelita peruses the menu and spots the perfect thing. A smile curves along her face and the menu closes shut with a snap. Jeremie looks at her with a knowing gleam in his eyes and says nothing.

Jeremie sets his down after a while and the other three follow suit. The hostess asks them for their drinks. Jeremie says water with lemon, Odd goes with a Coke, Yumi sticks with plain water, Ulrich decides to try the pineapple juice, and Aelita of course asks for orange juice. Jeremie rolls his eyes and says, "You ever going to try something else?" She shakes her head defiantly and smirks.

"I feel like a movie tonight." Yumi says in between a yawn. Aelita laughs and the Japanese girl looks at her with a curious expression.

"Oh. I had the exact same thought on the way back." The pinkette replies.

"Then it's done. Movie night! Do we have popcorn?" Yumi takes a sip of her newly-arrived water while the three boys put their drinks as far away as possible from Aelita's reach. Noticing this, the pink haired girl giggles and grabs Jeremie's water before he can react.

"Seriously? Is this like your secret addition?" Jeremie moans while Aelita takes a demure sip.

"Possibly. That's for you to figure out." Aelita relinquishes her grip on his water and Jeremie snatches it back with a glare.

"You two are so hilarious to watch." Yumi pipes up. "I mean it; it's adorable." Jeremie and Aelita blush amidst their friends' laughter. The hostess waits for the laughter to die down and asks for their orders. Everyone orders a different variety of fish; Aelita's turn comes up.

"I'll take the Mahi Mahi glazed in an orange sauce and blackened. Thanks." Jeremie chuckles to himself as his girlfriend orders. She playfully glares at him.

"What Jer?" Odd asks in confusion as he calmly waits for the food to arrive.

"I knew exactly what she was going to order the second I looked at the menu." Jeremie replies before winking at Aelita. Yumi smiles wistfully and looks at Ulrich. _Will we ever know each other that well?_

A restful conversation ensues. Aelita steals a couple more drinks from Jeremie and chuckles at the resulting glares and sapphire eyes that promised vengeance. _His vengeance is always enjoyable._ The food arrives and her emerald eyes spark with delight. The blackened and steaming fish makes her mouth water and she digs in. Like a vacuum cleaner set to high Aelita devours her meal. She drops the fork onto the plate with a clink while Odd stares wide eyed at her plate.

"You eat faster than me. How is that physically possible?" he asks. Aelita shrugs and smiles.

"Don't bother asking how; I just go with it." Jeremie replies as he stuffs another forkful of fish in his mouth. Finally they finish the delicious meal and ask for the check. Before Jeremie could receive it Aelita snatches it out of his hand. _Those drink snatching skills are coming in handy._ "What are you doing Aelita?" he asks.

"Let's see. Your parents funded this trip. You invited us. It's your money we've been using this whole time. Jeremie, don't fight with me on this. This dinner is on me." Aelita replies.

"Fine. I can't budge you on this." Jeremie says. "Let's head back." The gang stands up and walks through the brightly lit streets of Kihei. Aelita gazes longingly at the ocean and hot tub as she passes them. _Later. Too tired tonight._ "So which room?" she asks.

Ulrich looks over at her. "Yours? I think you guys got the popcorn bags anyway." Yumi nods that they do indeed have the popcorn.

"It's decided then. Let's get freshened up and meet you girls in twenty minutes?" Jeremie asks as he looks down at his watch and opens room 214. Ulrich and Odd follow him through and Odd immediately nabs the first shower this time. The boys take their turns and knock on the girls' door at the allotted time.

"Hold on a second!" Aelita calls. Odd laughs at another late moment for the women. The door opens promptly and Aelita's smiling face greets them with the smell of butter on the air. "Hey guys. Ready? Yumi went to go get the movie from the office. They have rentals or something." Jeremie hugs her tightly for a few seconds and then sits at the kitchen table. Aelita spins in her black pj's with the pink heart on front. Jeremie's smile widens and he winks. The pinkette returns the wink in a sultry fashion.

Yumi walks into the door and a surprise hug and kiss from Ulrich. After pulling away she flips the movie onto the counter. Jeremie catches it before it flies off the side and looks at it. "A horror movie? Really now?" he says. Yumi cackles with mirth.

"Of course. Aelita hasn't seen one yet. Besides you won't mind at all." She teases. Jeremie raises an eyebrow and thinks about it.

"Fair point. Well shall we begin? Odd, don't eat it all already." Jeremie slaps Odd's hand away from a bowl of popcorn and motions to the two beds. Ulrich leans over to put the movie in and joins Yumi on the right bed. Aelita stakes a claim to her bed and therefore Jeremie while Odd lounges about on the floor with a bunch of pillows.

Aelita dips her hand into the popcorn bowl and realizes it's half gone before the movie even starts. _Oops. Why am I so hungry lately? A horror movie sounds interesting._ She grabs a piece and holds it up for Jeremie to eat.

"If you get a little frightened, remember that's the fun part. Just think about it logically all right?" Jeremie whispers into her ear and she nods. Shifting in his arms, Aelita finds a comfortable position to watch the movie yet feel his warmth. The movie begins with a bang; two are dead immediately. _Guess blood is the point of these. Jeez the flow._

Aelita watches raptly. It doesn't scare her…much. All that fear is washed away by the protective embrace of Jeremie's hands around her waist. The hour and thirty minutes flash by; the ending is just as blood filled as the beginning. Aelita's eyes droop from sleep and she knocks the long emptied popcorn bowl onto Odd's slumbering face.

"Hey! Watch it!" Odd yells while rubbing his eyes.

"I'm sorry Odd. You guys better get to sleep; we're getting up early to see the sunrise from the national park you know." Aelita replies. Jeremie kisses her swiftly but passionately and gets up to leave. Aelita gathers her thoughts again and yawns. Ulrich wishes Yumi goodbye and the three boys file out the door while the pinkette cleans up some of the popcorn crumbs on her bed. "Good night Yumi."

"Night Aelita. You have to get up fairly early tomorrow so enjoy the sleep…while you can." Yumi flicks off the light and the last thing she sees is Aelita's tongue sticking out at her. "Stick that at me one more time and I'll rip it out."

"Wow. You've gotten more violent since Ulrich kissed you. Unleashing your pent-up desires through anger instead of at him?" Aelita teases.

"Oh shush. Go to sleep." Yumi replies. Aelita chuckles; she knew by the sound of the voice that the Japanese girl was blushing. _Sleep would be nice right about now._ Her wish is answered; the pinkette slips into oblivion while the moon performs its eternal cycle in the starry sky above.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer -** Is this even necessary at this point? Nonetheless, I don't own Code Lyoko.

**A/N: I am so sorry for the dreadful delay with this story! I wish I had a halfway decent excuse but I don't. Blame it on sheer laziness...after three weeks I give you chapter 6! I'll never let a story fall this far behind from now on unless I die or something. (I can't do anything about that) Anyways, enjoy!**

"Wakey wakey sleepyhead." Getting no response from the lump, Yumi punches it. _That never fails._ Aelita pops up with a murderous glare at her friend then looks out at the dark sky and moans.

"It's not even sunrise yet. Why are we up at this unholy hour again?" Aelita complains while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Yell at your boyfriend, not me. It was Jeremie's idea to see the sunrise from near the summit of Haleakala and then tour the park area all day. I have a feeling we'll be getting to sleep early tonight though." Yumi replies as she gets her gear together for the hiking and swimming. Aelita closes her eyes to savor the previous feeling of oblivion and then snaps awake. Her emerald eyes rove the room curiously as she wonders what exactly to wear today. _Swimsuit underneath hiking clothes? That should work._

Aelita stretches and grabs her pink towel hanging on the nightstand. "Taking a real quick shower. See if the boys are up." Aelita says before closing the bathroom door behind her. Yumi nods in response and continues packing lunch for the two of them. As always the stream of water chases the last bit of sleepiness from Aelita and she walks out in a good mood ready for the day. At least the mood lasts until she looks out at the dark sky and frowns again. _This sunrise better be worth it._

She takes a few moments to stare blankly at the fridge. Something needed to magically assemble itself in front of her so she could eat. Shrugging, Aelita grabs the milk carton and a mango and proceeds to have a light breakfast. The mango tasted excellent; if she stayed here much longer Aelita might become addicted to the things. Pouring a cold glass of milk, she looks around to make sure that she had everything and walks outside with the cup in her hand. The morning air had a slight bite to it. Aelita rubs her arm absently and stares at the quiet surroundings while sipping on the milk. Snapping out of her slight trance, she knocks on the boys' door.

It creaks open and Yumi's face peers out. "There you are! Looking a bit more alive as well." Aelita walks in and spies Ulrich and Odd in conversation at the table while Jeremie busies himself with packing the supplies for today. A smile automatically grows on Aelita's visage as she watches Jer efficiently slice apart a few mangoes with his attention focused solely at the task at hand. He had given her so much yet never asked for anything. Jeremie finally notices another presence in the room and turns to look at Aelita.

The pinkette loved how Jeremie looked at her. Whenever those sapphire eyes met hers it seemed as if nothing else really existed. Sure she noticed her other three friends and the surroundings right now but none of that mattered as much as the boy a couple feet away. She should probably shake off the trance he put her in but she enjoyed the feeling too much. As far as her dazzled mind could tell she did the same thing to him.

"All right, are you going to move anytime soon? I know you're having a moment but we need to leave in a few minutes." Ulrich asks while rolling his eyes at the scene the two love struck teenagers made. Jeremie and Aelita blush simultaneously and they settle for a quick hug and murmured good morning's before returning to chores. The pinkette swore to herself that she'd get some more alone time with Jer this week. All she needed was practice after all.

"Aelita, mind gathering some drinks and throwing them in the backpack? Seeing as you can move again." Yumi asks while stifling her laughter. Aelita sends a quick glare Yumi's way and starts pulling out bottled water and soda from the refrigerator. Oblivious to all of this, Odd munches on an apple. Jeremie turns back to the fruit and quickly puts the mango pieces into a few plastic bags. Licking his fingers clean of the last bit of juice that resulted from eating a few pieces along the way, Jer uses his other hand to lightly toss the bags of food into the backpack.

"Looks like we're mostly set." Jeremie says after Aelita puts the drink into the pink backpack. "How much time do we have to spare?" he asks Ulrich, who had the timetable clutched in his hand.

"Five minutes until the shuttle gets here to take us up the mountain." Ulrich replies after giving the itinerary a quick glance. "Then it's the sunrise, a boring bike ride all the way down, and then exploration time." His excited expression as he uttered the last part of his statement obviously shows what Ulrich looked forward to. Jeremie tosses the backpack over his shoulders and the group heads outside. Aelita smirks at the bright pink object on her boyfriend's back and peacefully walks by his side.

The bright green and yellow shuttle sends off an awkward vibe of cheerfulness at the early hour. Aelita groans at the garish colors growing bigger in her vision. Its door opens with a cheery "Aloha!" from the somehow wide awake driver within. The five zombie-like teens get on the bus and wearily pick seats in the front. The pinkette slides into the padded black seats and rests her head against the shaking window. Aelita sighs and wishes that coffee would appear in her hands. Jeremie slides a cylindrical object into Aelita's right hand and she stares in surprise at a thermos. _How does he do this? Honestly. That's almost creepy._

She unscrews the silvery top and finds the dark and earthy liquid she had been craving. The taste of vanilla floods her mouth and she lets out a moan of contentment. After the first gulp she frowned slightly. _I don't remember telling him my favorite coffee is French Vanilla._ Jeremie smiles at her knowingly while Aelita stares at him in flabbergasted shock. "Seriously…how do you keep doing this Jer? It's almost beyond belief." Aelita asks. Her hand automatically directs the coffee to her mouth while she waits for a response.

Jeremie smirks and draws the pinkette closer to him. "I just know you. Roll with it." Having divulged his only answer on the topic, the blonde snatches the silver thermos and takes a fortifying sip. Aelita glares at him but figures since he gave it to her Jeremie deserved one sip. One sip only. She greedily snatches it back after his lone swallow and cradles the precious caffeine closer. "You seriously aren't a morning person…" Jeremie trails off into laughter at her accidental Gollum impersonation.

Aelita ignores his barb and turns her attention to the window. Unfortunately there wasn't much to see besides the shadowy shapes of trees and buildings. She had to wait until the bike ride for the scenery. Quite content to sip her coffee, Aelita amuses herself with trying to figure out what each passing black shape was. Trees were easy to guess but some shapes utterly defeated her. She scratches at her pink hair absentmindedly while the vehicle heads for the summit of Haleakala. The coffee level in her thermos reaches zero just as the shuttle grinds to a halt with the faintest vestiges of pink encroaching on the twilight sky.

The group floods out of the vehicle and start popping their eardrums to equalize the pressure. Odd nears the edge and looks down into the still-dark crater expanding out in front of them. "So what now?" he asks impatiently. Jeremie rolls his eyes and points his arm at the small pink splotch on the horizon. Aelita leans into him tiredly but her alert emerald eyes focus on the portion of sky that matched her hair.

Ulrich and Yumi find a location to themselves a few feet away and they wait in silence. The growling of the engine and the noise of employees getting the bikes ready fades from Aelita's mind. Hyperaware of every motion Jeremie made, the pinkette examines her emotions and finds only contentment and the usual undercurrent of love she felt near him. Gradually gathering the courage to gaze upon the world once more, the sun peeks over the rim of the crater. The sliver of blinding light makes the group assembled on the watching point flinch and cover their eyes. Instead they stare down into the crater with wonder.

The sun slowly illuminated the vast hills and valleys within the circular crater. Cinder cones glinted in the light as it moved inexorably towards the miniscule people watching. Splashes of color grew from the darkness and Aelita gasped in wonder. Jeremie marveled at how trees, rocks, boulders, and even small mountain peaks burst free from the shackling shadows and revealed themselves inch by inch to the half orb straining for the sky. Minutes passed without a word. Finally the sun banished darkness for another day and Aelita let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. _So beautiful…_

Feeling a vague sense of loss, Aelita moves and groans at the barrage of cracking that emanates from her protesting joints. Jeremie chuckles at the sounds and lithely jumps to his feet. Odd blinks and snaps himself out of the trance the sight put him in. He definitely had to admit that ranked up there with one of the more amazing natural sights he'd seen. The hyper boy wanted to ride the bikes down now though; he had a bit of extra energy to burn. Then again, when didn't he have energy to burn?

"Wow." Ulrich stated simply and Yumi murmured her agreement. The two were still sitting since Yumi felt like stealing a few minutes of rest on her new pillow. Jeremie stole a quick kiss from Aelita but once again pulled away before she could respond. He loved doing that for the exact reason that she'd get her revenge later…and he'd enjoy it. She rolled her eyes and punched him in the kidney. The only reaction was a grin and his arm snaking around her waist. Giving up for now, Aelita walks in his embrace towards the bikes. They gleamed in the morning sun, aching to be ridden by someone. Aelita snickered at her little characterization of them and sighed. _My friends really have corrupted me. _She made a beeline for the pink bike and pointed at the blue bike standing next to it. Jeremie smiled at her love of matching and followed suit. Yumi hopped on the stylish maroon bike leaning against the shuttle while Ulrich eyed a coal black mountain bike. Not caring in the least, Odd sat himself on the nearest one.

The tour guide barked at them to always stay behind the shuttle and do nothing stupid. Aelita shrugged, all she wanted was to gaze at the scenery on the way down. Now that they weren't indistinguishable blobs she might see something of interest. Odd groans with boredom at the intolerable speed limit. The second part better be worth this slow trip down Haleakala.

As they expected, the ride down failed in the excitement department. Aelita let her body go on autopilot while she glanced at the mixture of nature and humanity around her. The sun made good progress towards its zenith while the Lyoko Warriors biked down. Another balmy day greeted them with a small chance of rain in the afternoon. Palm trees waved merrily at them in the wind as the biking group neared the finish line. Hopping off with a sigh, Aelita frees her hair from the annoying helmet and sets it on the seat. The easy ride plus the caffeine kicking in made her eyes bright and alert.

"So where to next?" Odd asks while snacking on a small granola bar. No one had any idea where it came from. Jeremie ponders the magical piece of food and shrugs. Odd always had something to eat.

"Looks like we're off to the Kipahulu section of the park. It's a long drive to get there thanks to the large amount of one-lane bridges on the coastal road. We'll at least have until sundown to explore things like 'Ohe'o Gulch. There's also hiking trails and waterfalls. " Jeremie replies absentmindedly. Ulrich raises his eyebrows. He was quite impressed that the nerd could respond so fluently when Aelita was trailing a few kisses along his neck. _What has she been doing to him to give him that kind of tolerance?_

Aelita steps back and pouts. That hadn't gone quite as planned. Jeremie laughs at his girlfriend and winks. "You'll have to do better than that princess." he taunts. Aelita smiles innocently at him and a spark of fear strikes him. She always coupled the innocent smile with something devilish.

"Oh, I haven't even gotten started. It probably wouldn't be appropriate in public…but that needn't stop us." Aelita sent a smoldering glance at him that sent Jeremie's pulse spiking. Ulrich and Odd clung to each other in hysterical laughter while Yumi abandons the attempt to support herself and instead laughs on from her sitting position on the ground. The heat in Jeremie's cheeks let him know that an embarrassing blush was gracing his face. Aelita snickers in satisfaction; she still had the ability to unnerve him. Switching gears, she looks at Jeremie and asks, "So, you ready for the ride?" Jeremie buries his face in his hands and escapes to the cheerful-looking shuttle. Aelita accepts the high fives from her friends and follows them with all the dignity she could muster.

Giving Jeremie a sunny smile as she sat next to him, Aelita reaches for the backpack and pulls out one of the bags containing mangoes. Jer watches the strange creature that somehow loved him eat and chuckles to himself. A sudden growl in his stomach reminds the blonde-haired boy that he needed more mangoes. He snatches the next piece of fruit heading towards Aelita's maw and takes a scrumptious bite. She sighs and hands the bag over to him. Murmuring his thanks, the boy finishes it in no time.

"Hey Einstein. Throw me a bag of fruit will ya?" Odd calls from the seat behind them. Jeremie complies by launching the small plastic bag blindly over his head. His aim proved true; the bag landed directly on Odd's face.

"Thanks Einstein. Next time try to give me some advance warning." Odd grumbles and begins to eat. The sound of giggles from the seat ahead reaches his ears and he sighs. It was past time to ignore his friends for a while and relax. Closing his eyes and listening to the music warbling through his headphones, Odd finds something to occupy him on the journey.

Aelita felt the caffeine recede and mentally staggers under the sudden wave of tiredness. "How long is this ride again…?" she asked the teen next to her.

"Depends on traffic but probably at least a couple hours. There are about forty-six one lane bridges on Hana Highway. You can sleep or look at the various attractions on the way. " Aelita stretched her legs across the aisle and put her head on Jeremie's stomach. "Alright, looks like you choose sleep. Fair enough." Aelita slips into the sleep she desperately craved and Jeremie stares out at the terrain without really seeing it. As always his thoughts focused on the pinkette laying on him.

"Psst. Jeremie, throw me a bottle of water." Yumi asked from the seat opposite Odd. Jeremie slowly unzipped the backpack and lightly tossed her the bottle. He needn't have been quiet; Aelita could sleep through quite a lot when she was tired.

"Thanks. I see we're doing the same thing." Yumi replies. Jeremie looks towards them and smirks at Ulrich borrowing Yumi's shoulder as a pillow.

"That we are. Guess we're the morning people eh?" he replies.

"Definitely. Do you know what's with all the signs that say "Keep out" and "No trespassing?" along all these beaches?" Yumi asks curiously. Quite a few places had prominent signs warning tourists to stay off their property.

"It's camouflage. There technically isn't a restriction on beachfront access to the public. Anyone can visit these properties but the signs scare some of the tourists off. If you really wanted you could find a guidebook that showed you how to pick locks." Jeremie replies. Yumi thanks her personal trivia master and returns to absentmindedly playing with Ulrich's hair while staring out the window.

Finally they arrived at the 'Ohe'o Gulch entryway. The shuttle driver, fairly annoyed after all those one-lane bridges, looked forward to sleeping while the tourists ran off. Cars packed around the small campground and Jeremie nudged Aelita awake as the vehicle shuddered to a stop. "Ngh…we're here?" she asks sleepily.

"Yep. Time to go hiking!" he replies with a grin and pushes Aelita into a sitting position. Odd stows his headphones away and leans around the seat while munching on another granola bar. Yumi, finally too curious to rein herself in, asks, "Seriously now Odd. Where are those things coming from?" He gives her a look and points to his pockets. Conceding the point, Yumi brings up another question. "How many left?" Odd holds up three fingers and she sighs. Those would be gone within the hour.

"Be back by sundown please." The shuttle driver reminds the gang as they disembark. With a wave the five turn away from their transportation and gaze at the crowded campground. Most people seemed to be heading to the 'Ohe'o pools for a bit of swimming so Jeremie pointed along the other route. A weathered wooden sign said, "Pipiwai Loop Trail to Waimoko waterfall." Odd slaps the rickety sign and waits for the others to catch up to his level of energy.

"Let's go! We'll get some good exercise today too." He calls as the two couples meet him under the sign. The chatter of birds and insects surround them as they push onto the trail. Aelita becomes too absorbed in the brightly colored flowers and trees around her to notice a root sticking out of the ground. Her foot catches and she teeters forward with a cry of surprise. Jeremie snakes his hands around her waist and pulls her back to a standing position. "Thanks Jer. Nice catch." she replies and glares at the offending root beneath her feet.

"No problem, try not to do it too often." He replies. Random conversation flows through the group as their leisurely pace takes them closer and closer to the waterfall. They spent their time enjoying the sights and sounds of the surrounding greenery. Aelita had to stop and smell the large pink flower hanging off an old and gnarled tree. She laughed with delight upon viewing it and immediately became entranced. After a few minutes of examination her obsession abated and she cheerfully took Jeremie's hand again.

A slight roar competed with the ambient sounds until it finally won out. Ulrich heard it first. "Looks like we're fairly close to the waterfall. Anyone up for a lunch break near it?" The others nod their agreement and press on. Rounding the bend, they stopped short at the 400 ft waterfall crashing down onto the rocks before them. The sight was majestic and spoke strongly of nature's sheer power. Aelita picks her way towards the fall carefully; the rounded rocks under her feet could betray her footing easily.

"Wow…that's awesome." She breathes. Jeremie makes his way to her side and murmurs his agreement. Birds fly overhead with their shrill cries breaking through the monotonous roar. The sun turns the stream of water into a column of sparkling crystal. After a few minutes of admiration the collective rumbling of stomachs reminds the humans of a more pressing concern: food. Making their way back across the rounded, multicolored rocks, the Lyoko Warriors set up shop on a boulder on the side of the path.

"Easy Odd! I'll get the sandwiches out as soon as I get it off my back. You already had those granola bars anyway." Jeremie complains as Odd starts unzipping the compartments in his search for the food. Aelita smacks his hand away and cleanly pulls the backpack off Jeremie's shoulders. She digs through the compartments and pulls out the bottles of water and neatly bagged sandwiches. Predictably, Odd grabs the first one.

Conversation falls in favor of munching while the five teens eat. While nothing special, the food at least filled their bellies and tasted good. After fifteen minutes all that remained of their sandwich and fruit stash was a heaping pile of napkins and plastic bags. "Nice work Jer. Not bad at all." Ulrich says after finishing his last sip of water. Jeremie smiles in response and puts all the bags back into the backpack. "What time is it?" Aelita asks curiously.

Odd glances at the phone in his hand and replies, "Almost 3. Wow, time went by really fast out here." Yumi nods her agreement and continues to stare at the waterfall crashing endlessly onto stone.

"We ready to continue?" Ulrich asks as the others stand up and stretch. Jeremie finds his gaze magnetically attracted to Aelita while she arches her arms and back like a cat. She turns to look at him curiously after noticing his stare and smirks after a split second. _Oops. I'm too beautiful, clearly._

"Yep. Off we go." Jeremie replies while slipping the backpack into its usual position. He leans down to pick up a smooth black stone shot through with veins of a blue material. Depositing it into his pocket, he straightens and heads off along the circular path. Aelita sends a final longing look at the waterfall before following close behind. Nature didn't notice them leave just as it didn't notice them arrive. The cycle of water falling through the air and into the ground continued with or without their presence.

More of the same greeted them on the hike back. Jeremie and Aelita lost themselves in a little game they liked to play on hikes. Whoever could identify the most flora and fauna by the time they got back won. Aelita grimaced most of the time; Jeremie's research on their trip to Hawaii gave him an advantage. Even so he led only 40-35 as they reached the campground once more. "Blah, this being a surprise trip for me was so unfair." The pinkette complains as Jeremie sticks his tongue at her in victory.

"Perhaps, but I still won." Jeremie smiles at Aelita's resulting glare. She mutters something under her breath before stalking off to the restroom. Odd claps him on the shoulder and laughs.

"She's totally going to get her revenge on you Einstein. Then again, I'm sure you're looking forward to it." He quips. Jeremie nods his agreement and heads for the restroom himself. Once everyone gathered back at the wooden benches the gang discussed what the next move was. "There's the 'Ohe'o pools after all." Ulrich comments but a chorus of groans reaches his ears.

"We need a break from water for one day. Seriously. I'm getting slightly tired of it." Aelita replies with her head resting on her arms and her face hidden. Jeremie ruffles the pink hair teasingly and she sits back up.

"True…" Odd replies. "We did hike a good three-four hours if you include the lunch breaks, Aelita's stops to stare at flowers, Jeremie's halts to check out some vine or another, the waterfall distraction, and our plodding pace in general. Normal people could probably do that in an hour and a half." The five teens chuckle at their tortuously slow pace.

Ulrich looks towards the shuttle and shrugs. "At least our driver got some beauty rest. He wasn't happy at those last few bridges after all. I expect the traffic to be far worse on the way back so who knows when we'll get back to the hotel?" Jeremie's eyes lose focus as he does a few mental calculations.

"Probably at least 3 hours, maybe slightly more. It'll be dark by then so any ideas what we want to do tonight?" Jeremie replies.

"Hmm…how about nothing at all?" Yumi replies tiredly. She brushes the hair out of her eyes and smiles at the thought of simply laying in bed. No swimming, no activity, just a little bonding time with Ulrich. That's all she wanted for tonight. Aelita's thoughts go on the same train and she nods vigorously.

"So just hanging round, watching TV, eating, what have you?" Odd muses. "Fine by me. What's the agenda for tomorrow by the way?" Jeremie shrugs and slaps at an errant mosquito trying to get a meal from his arm. He misses by a few inches and an angry buzzing reaches his ear before the winged insect flies off towards the forest.

"How about a girls/boys day thing?" He gestures at Yumi and Aelita. "You two can go shopping for whatever you want. Plenty of stores in Kihei." The two share a glance and smile. That could be quite a bit of fun. "As for us, we'll do whatever we feel like." Odd and Ulrich share high fives and grin.

"Excellent plan Einstein." Ulrich comments before standing up. He holds a hand to Yumi and motions his head toward the shuttle. "Looks like all our dastardly plotting is complete. Off we go!" A slight racket ensues as the other four get to their feet simultaneously. Aelita looks around at the peaceful campground and the leaves waving in the breeze above and waves in response. Jeremie flicks off yet another mosquito and walks to the shuttle. A few knocks on the door wakes the slumbering driver and he opens it quickly.

"Back so soon? Well more time for me with the family tonight." He comments as the five climb aboard. They all return to their accustomed seats. A crackling sound comes from Odd's location as he unwraps his final granola bar. The other four simultaneously roll their eyes at their perpetually hungry friend. The couples switch positions; this time Yumi and Jeremie try to get some rest while Aelita and Ulrich look out at the countryside they missed on the way there. The sun sank into the horizon with a dying splash of red as the shuttle slowly progressed towards Kihei once more. The pinkette smirked at the varied curses coming from the front of the bus. _The poor guy really hates Hana Highway. With good reason._

A jerk brought Jeremie awake. He didn't move from his extremely comfortable position in Aelita's lap. Her hand was nestled in his hair and occasionally playing around with it. The hand morphed into a single cruel finger as she poked his head to get him awake. "Wake up sleepy." she whispers into his ear. Rubbing the spot where her finger tried to burrow into his scalp, Jeremie sits up and blinks at the dark night outside. A groan from Yumi coupled with Ulrich's laughter said that Yumi didn't enjoy her return to consciousness.

Standing up, Yumi punches a sleeping Odd. His headphones fall onto the seat with a muffled thump as he jerks awake and stares wildly around for a few seconds. "Why is it always a punch? Or a kick? Do none of my friends know civility?" Odd complains and gathers his headphones.

"Let us know when you deserve civility." Aelita replies over her shoulder. "Then we might think about it." Jeremie adds. Odd concedes the point and returns to his usual jovial spirits as he bounces along the aisle. Each one thanked the shuttle driver for his hospitality and he saluted them with his hat in return.

"Enjoy your stay here!" he calls after Yumi slipped out the door. With a roar the vehicle leaves the teens in the WorldMark parking lot and rumbles off to an unknown destination. Aelita shivers and leans closer to Jeremie to steal his warmth. "Alright you leech, let's get you inside before I get drained." Jeremie teases. The scuba diving yesterday, early start today, and hiking all took its toll on their vitality. A woman passing by the group was struck by their resemblance to those zombies that were all the rage these days.

Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi file into the boys' room for some food and lazing about in front of the television. The other two share sleepy looks and take the second option: Yumi and Aelita's room. Flicking on the light, Jeremie sets the backpack on the counter and rummages through the fridge for a quick snack. He hands the orange juice on the top shelf to Aelita, who squeals in delight. She pours two glasses of the divine liquid while Jeremie contentedly munches on a piece of chicken.

"Cheers!" Aelita calls and picks up her glass. Jeremie raises one eyebrow.

"You do know that's a bit more appropriate when you have an alcoholic beverage?" he asks. She thinks about it and shrugs.

"So? Nothing beats orange juice anyway." she replies. Jeremie smiles and picks up his own glass.

"Cheers Aelita." The two cups meet with a clink and each takes a sip. Aelita's sip turns into more of a chugging scenario as the entire glass gets drained within a few seconds. She immediately reaches for the last bit left in the container and finishes that off too. Aelita looks wistfully at Jeremie's quarter-filled glass after tossing the plastic rectangle into the trash.

"No. Definitely not. It's your own fault for drinking it so fast." Jeremie replies to her unspoken question. Aelita squares her shoulders; she was going to have to pull her ultimate trump card. She arranged her face into the look of a despondent and heartbroken waif whose entire broken life would be fixed by that orange liquid in the glass. Jeremie takes one look and sighs. He couldn't beat that expression. _One day I will have to get some resistance built up. Otherwise she'll win every argument._

Aelita takes the offered glass with a grin of satisfaction and polishes it off. "Thanks dear." she coos sweetly. She pulls him by the arm to her bed and flops down on it with a sigh of relief. Jeremie unceremoniously rolls her off the bed onto the floor so he could pull down the sheets. He ignores her squeak of surprise and the ensuing thump of her body hitting the carpet. "Jer! That was completely unnecessary!" she whines.

"I beg to differ. It made a huge difference in my spirits right now." Jeremie quips as he pulls the heavy top cover onto the foot of the bed then buries himself in the sheets. Aelita stands up to find a lump occupying the middle of her bed. A smirk crosses her face at the possibilities. _What to do...mm…_

Her playfulness decided to be lazy for once. She was too tired to really care right now. Besides, Aelita would make it up to him tomorrow night if she had her way. Jeremie finds himself exposed as Aelita pulls back the sheets and kicks at him to make him move over. He takes one look into her tired emerald eyes and immediately scoots to the side. He pulls her into his embrace and the two relax. "We're going to fall asleep ridiculously early aren't we?" Aelita murmurs and entwines her hand with Jeremie's. He nods against her neck and tightens his grip around her waist.

"Good thing I don't care." Jeremie replies a minute later. Aelita groans; she had almost slipped away into sleep. Catching his mistake, Jeremie shuts up and the two fall asleep within five minutes.

"Good night boys. I'll send Jeremie back over." Yumi says as she disentangles herself from Ulrich. The movie was alright. Even though it was labeled an action movie there really wasn't much going on in it. Such a shame. Still, it gave her time to play around with her boyfriend so no worries. Ulrich gives her an enthusiastic kiss good night and the Japanese girl almost forgets about her statement. Pulling away, she fixes her hair and winks at Ulrich.

"Night Yumi." Ulrich replies with a grin. Odd waves at Yumi as she opens the door and leaves. The girl stands outside with her hair waving in the slight breeze and thinks about how spectacularly the vacation was going so far. She also idly wondered what Jeremie and Aelita had been up to the last few hours. _I'm about to find out._ Yumi slips her key into the door and opens it. The kitchen light illuminated two sleeping forms on Aelita's bed.

Eyes widening, Yumi quickly tiptoes towards the slumbering pair. _Did they…?_ Her fears are unrealized as she notices the two were still fully clothed. They just had fallen asleep in each other's arms. _How cute._ She considered waking Jeremie up and sending him back to his room but she didn't have the heart. The two looked so peaceful and relaxed. Yumi smiled at the pair; it was about time Aelita had a chance at pure happiness. Jeremie really should've made his move sooner but better late than never.

The Japanese girl chuckled at the comparison she could make between the two four feet away and her and Ulrich. At least both couples fell into the better late than never category. Slipping into her bed, Yumi wrapped the sheets over her head and snuggled against the pillow. She smiled at the events of the day and ignored the slight burn in her muscles. She couldn't wait for the shopping tomorrow…finally that allowance would get used! Thoughts of clothes drifted her off on the tide of oblivion.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer - **X.A.N.A.'s attack and the ensuing return to the past blocked my attempt to steal ownership of Code Lyoko. So definitely don't own it.

**A/N: **Just a few personal milestones here: 1) First story to break 30K+ words, 2) Longest single chapter by far, and 3) 100K+ total words of fanfiction written. Hopefully this behemoth of a chapter is a good read! Enjoy and let me know watcha think. -Flourish- I now present: Chapter 7!

"How should we wake them up?" Ulrich asks while scratching his head.

"Preferably in some evil method I haven't thought up yet." Odd replies while contemplating the two calm sleepers on the bed. Yumi chuckles and strains for something diabolical.

"Nope, I got nothing guys." Yumi says in a crestfallen tone. "Seems like such a shame when we have them at our mercy." Ulrich rubs her shoulders comfortingly. Guess his girlfriend wasn't the evil type. _Hmm, that's both welcome yet disappointing._ The black-haired girl gives up and slips out of Ulrich's embrace towards the kitchen. "Might as well start making some eggs. I'm hungry."

"Just be quiet for now in case inspiration strikes, alright?" Odd says over his shoulder quietly. Yumi nods at him and starts carefully cracking eggs into a black pan sitting on the oven. A slight sizzling sound fills the hotel room and Aelita stirs. Ulrich and Odd watch her move but sigh with relief as she snuggles closer to Jeremie and resumes slumber.

Ulrich stomach growls and he rolls his eyes. "I honestly think there's nothing we can do. The smell of bacon will get them up like a shot once we start cooking it. Odd, you got a couple minutes." He claps his friend on the back and goes to help with breakfast.

Odd looks through the balcony window towards the ocean with a faraway look in his eyes. _What to do…hmm…_ Nothing creative or original was popping in to deliver a package that would wake up his friends in a nasty fashion. There was always ice but that's the expected way to do it. Then again, if all else fails why not the general remedy with a twist? Resigning himself to the idea, Odd walks away from the bed and grabs the biggest pitcher he could find. "Hey you two, whatever you do don't wake them up yet. Otherwise I'm going outside for nothing." Odd calls as he quietly slips out the door. Yumi and Ulrich share confused looks and shrug. They honestly didn't want to know. A pang of pity strikes Yumi as the slumbering couple passes into her view again. _No matter what Odd chooses it probably won't be fun to wake up to._

The eggs were starting to solidify into something edible just as Odd quietly knocks on the door. Yumi lets him in and notices a large pitcher now filled with greenish-blue water. "Really Odd? Isn't that going to sting a little?" she hisses. He chuckles and starts adding ice to the mixture. Ulrich looks over and grins, his eyes silently congratulating Odd. Yumi rolls her eyes and continues to poke at the eggs with a spatula. _Men._ Still, she was a little curious to see Jeremie's and Aelita's reaction.

Placing his finger in the pitcher and pulling it back quickly, Odd judges that the temperature of the water would be sufficient. _Sucks to be them._ Looking far too much like a mad scientist, Odd tiptoes towards his unsuspecting victims with a psychotic grin adorning his face. The seawater contained in the grey pitcher sloshed as if it wanted to be released. Preferably onto someone. Taking a quick peek at the sole inhabitant of the pitcher, Odd begins to chuckle under his breath. He was totally going to die but the looks…and the welts…on their faces would be worth it. _Well not too many welts. I'm not that sadistic._

Yumi and Ulrich stop their preparations to watch. Odd stood over his victims now, the pitcher in his hands rising above his head. With a demented look of glee, the boy flips the pitcher over. A stream of green-blue water remains suspended in the air for an eternal moment. Motes of sunlight turn the dark wave into a sparkling crystal of impending ice. The sunlight outlines the ephemeral shape of the creature as it falls to gravity and gets carried with the water. Simultaneous screams fill the room as the glacial stream hits its victims. Odd couldn't help but wince as the jellyfish lands directly on Jeremie's face before the water sluices it off. _Oops. I didn't intend that. Nice aim though._

For their part, Aelita and Jeremie regain consciousness into a world of freezing sensation. Jeremie had the additional misfortune of wearing a mask of high-voltage electricity for a split second. The warm cocoon they built the night before collapses into a frigid maw. Their clothes instantly cling to their skin from the deluge. Snapping her stinging eyes open, a shivering Aelita sends a death glare at the one standing in front of her. Ulrich and Yumi are nowhere to be seen but the sound of hysterical laughter floated into her ears from the kitchen. Jeremie buries his face in his hands and tries to battle both the receding pain and the entrenched cold. The pinkette notices the jellyfish a few inches from her leg and releases another scream. Instinctively moving away, she tumbles off the bed with a sodden thump to add insult to injury. Or in this case, injury to insult.

Aelita rubs her sore hip and groans. Jeremie opens his eyes and gasps in relief as his face feels more like skin rather than a layer of voltage. Narrowing his sapphire eyes on the clear and slightly-twitching creature on the bed, Jeremie flicks his eyes at Odd for a second. Odd, laughing too hard to notice any move by Jeremie, doesn't dodge the jellyfish as it strikes his face. He reels back into the chairs and the source of all their trouble drops straight down onto Aelita's cheek. Screaming for the third time, she bats the jellyfish off into the wall. Yumi and Ulrich peer back over the counter before crashing to the floor in hysteria again. Three thoroughly miserable teenagers nurse their respective wounds. Yumi snaps up and notices her eggs burning. Salvaging the majority, she checks the bacon.

Ulrich walks around the counter and raises an eyebrow at the chaos. Jeremie stared at his right hand while holding Aelita with the other. The pinkette had her face buried in his chest while she outlasted the fiery sting on her cheek. Odd leaned against the metal chairs with a wet towel obscuring his features. _This is a fine mess. Only us._ "Umm…breakfast is about ready." Ulrich comments then immediately runs for the respective safety of the kitchen. Two piercing gazes taught him the value of keeping his mouth shut.

A couple minutes pass; the pain subsides and warmth sinks into their cold bones. Jeremie helps Aelita up and shakes some of the excess water out of his hair. He takes off his glasses and begins to wipe them with his shirt but realizes that the soaked material wouldn't help at all. Growling with anger, the boy finds a dry shirt lying in the corner and cleans off his glasses. The world comes back into focus and he blinks. Aelita had tackled Odd and it looked like she was enjoying herself by inflicting pain. _I'm not going to interfere with that. She can hurt me in so many more ways._

Taking the wise option, Jeremie ignores the sound of scuffling and takes a seat at the counter. A still-chuckling Yumi places a plate in front of him and the sodden boy grins. That had been an interesting start to the day but now he had bacon. He daintily entertained vague ideas of revenge against Odd but it still sounded like Aelita had that handled. Once again glad he wasn't Odd, Jeremie digs into his meal. The noise stops and the pinkette sits down next to him with a slight smile on her face. Ulrich wordlessly puts a plate in front of her. She murmurs her thanks and appropriates Jeremie's orange juice for her own. She gives him a twinkling glance and the smile morphs into a full-out grin. "Good morning Jer."

"Good morning Aelita. Enjoy my orange juice." He replies with a chuckle before chomping down on a delicious piece of bacon. A groan from the floor reaches his ears. "Good morning to you too Odd. Feeling alright?" Jeremie smirks.

"Not especially. When did Aelita get such a strong arm?" he moans. Checking his face and chest to make sure nothing was broken, Odd shakily gets to his feet. The ramrod straight position of Aelita's back and her studious ignorance of him tells the boy he wasn't forgiven. And probably never would be. _At least I'm still in one piece. I didn't think I'd make it through that alive when Aelita tackled me. Jeez._

Food always contained the power to cheer Odd up. Once a plate filled his hand he forgot about his slightly battered body and devoured his meal. "Thanks Yumi and Ulrich. Excellent breakfast." He compliments and puts his plates in the dishwasher. "Ulrich and Jer, what you two want to do today?" The other boys go through two rather short mental checklists and shrug. Aelita and Yumi share delighted grins. They were going to hit the town in full force. Aelita looks down at herself and shrugs. At least she was mostly dry at this point.

"Alright. Shower time, you three are evicted." Aelita commands and makes a shooing motion. Jeremie laughs and grabs both of her wrists simultaneously while the other two file out the door. Before she could resist he claims her full attention with a kiss. This time he let her respond and Aelita didn't fail him in that regard. Knowing that after a couple minutes this would get rather embarrassing, Aelita regretfully pulls away and nods at the door. "Go!" He kisses her again and she growls against his lips. _He doesn't play fair. _Pushing the now-familiar desire down, she breaks away and marches him to the door. His parting wink doesn't help her mood and she whirls around to find Yumi chuckling at her.

"He's got you wrapped around his finger." Yumi cackles before flopping onto her bed and turning on the television. Aelita grabs her outfit for the day and deigns to ignore her friend's comment. Fifteen minutes later, the pinkette walks out and motions to Yumi.

"Ready to shop a bit?" she asks while rummaging through her purse to figure out just how much she could spend.

"Hell yeah. I've been saving up a little for this." Yumi grabs her purse and looks up at a growl from Aelita. The pinkette held a small wad of cash and she didn't look all too happy. "What?"

"Jeremie…he put some extra cash in here. He really needs to stop doing that." Aelita shakes her head but drops the dollar bills back into her bag.

"Eh, don't complain that much. He just likes to ensure you're happy." The Japanese girl replies while heading for the door. Aelita considers the statement and nods. She was quite lucky to have Jeremie but sometimes it irked her how much she depended on him. He saved her from X.A.N.A., gave her a human form, and then supplied everything she needed. Aelita was more grateful than she ever could say but she wished she could do something for him in return.

Shelving the dilemma for now, she grins and walks out of the room. Idle chitchat with Yumi carries the two from the hotel into the streets of Kihei. Plenty of vendors hawked their wares and a satisfying hour of just window shopping ensues. Spying a hat store, Aelita shrugs and drags Yumi in. "Wonder what they have here?" The girls walk in and find a seemingly infinite variety of hats. Some were simple affairs; others could only be worn at a horrendous Halloween fashion party. Aelita pokes a large purple hat with a pink feather sticking out and grimaces. Yumi sends it one glance and giggles. "Wear it Aelita. I have to see this." The pinkette considers it and tentatively puts it on. By the expression on her friend's face, the thing didn't match her at all.

"Well?" Aelita asks while slowly prancing around in a circle. Yumi taps a finger on her cheek and tries to find a suitably apt description.

"You look…pimportant." Yumi replies then breaks into laughter at Aelita's stunned expression. _Pimportant? That's not a word. Still so awesome._

"What does that mean?" Aelita asks. Yumi struggles to come up with an appropriate description.

"You're like a self-important pimp. The hat shows you're clearly living well, don't care about looks, and only a pimp would wear something so ridiculous. Make sense now?" Aelita muses Yumi's statement and nods. It made sense in whatever fantasy land she and her friends lived in. Other shoppers were sending them glances; clearly this hat seriously clashed with her hair. Setting the horrid thing back on its pedestal, Aelita feels so much better.

Feeling a little adventurous, Aelita buys a pirate hat with a skull and crossbones etched into the front. She was deadly after all. "Hmm…now I need a full set." She complains and Yumi rolls her eyes.

"That's why you have money. Find a nice black dress or something. That'd be an interesting mix." Yumi replies while fingering an elegant black sunhat. The two, bored with that store, wander across the busy street to gaze at jewelry they'd probably never be able to afford. It was fun to stare at the sparkly things for free though. _Shiny!_ Aelita's mind was easily distracted by sparkles; she didn't know why. The pinkette felt especially drawn to the selections of aquamarine and sapphire gems. The reason why was obvious and Freud probably laughed at her from his grave. Twenty minutes pass by happily and the two girls feel a slight growl of hunger in their stomachs. Yumi spies a little café with adorable straw umbrellas and a few tables overlooking a small park in the back.

"How about that place?" Yumi asks and points at it. Aelita follows the line of sight from her friend's finger and shrugs. The hostess greets them with the usual cheerful greeting and leads them to a table behind the restaurant. Palm trees made their presence known with a wave from their position overlooking a small brook. The slight trickle of water reaches their ears and Aelita smiles at the pretty picture greeting her eyes. She really wanted to play with that tiny stream too.

The two chat about their respective boyfriends as they browse the menu for a light snack. Contemplating a grilled fish sandwich, Aelita doesn't hear Yumi's question. A snap of fingers in front of her face brings the pinkette out of her absorption with food and she looks questioningly at Yumi. "Clearly you didn't hear me. How's Jeremie treating ya?" the Japanese girl asks with a grin. Aelita's unfocused gaze at mention of his name answers Yumi's question. "You're going to give me some details here. I already know you're nuts about him."

Conceding the point, Aelita opens her mouth just as the waitress comes up to take their orders. Aelita orders their fish of the day while Yumi decides on calamari. "Really Yumi? What possessed you to choose that?" Aelita murmurs in distaste. The black-haired girl shrugs.

"I like it. I'll make you try it. Now, where were we?" Yumi turns the conversation back to the topic at hand. Aelita grimaces at the thought of trying calamari but resigns herself. _Hopefully it won't be too bad._

"He's treating me well of course. You know him Yumi, he wouldn't do anything else." Aelita replies while playing with the straw in her drink. Smirking, the pinkette chuckles to herself at blocking Yumi's hesitant probe. The Japanese girl sighs at Aelita's avoidance of her intended question. She'd have to spell it out.

"Obviously. I'm more curious about incidents like this morning." Yumi replies with a hint of exasperation. Aelita takes a long drink of her water while staring at her friend. Yumi starts tapping her foot. Figuring she'd let it drag on long enough, Aelita pulls the straw out of her mouth and begins to answer the question. Two plates of food dropped in front of them shut her mouth again.

"You've got to be kidding me. Fine. Eat first." Yumi grumbles and begins to stab her squid. Aelita nearly chokes on her first bite thanks to a peal of laughter. A few seconds of hacking clear her airways and the pinkette focuses back on the meal. Yumi drops a piece of calamari onto the plate and Aelita stares at it as if it was one of X.A.N.A.'s monsters. "Come on, try it." Her friend encourages with a slight undertone that said Aelita _was_ going to eat it.

Picking up the fried tendril, Aelita inspects the morsel for a couple seconds. _Just eat it already._ She pops it into her mouth and starts chewing. The rubbery texture doesn't bother her as much as Aelita expected. Her eyebrows rise as she swallows and nods. "Not bad. I'm assuming its better with the sauce?" Yumi nods in response and Aelita snatches another piece to dip. Now used to the chewiness, Aelita enjoys the taste and smiles at Yumi.

"I could get used to that. Anyways, I have no complaints with Jeremie's err…attentions. Matter of fact he's the one who has the best grip on rationality between us." Aelita replies before taking another bite out of the second half of her sandwich. Yumi thinks about that and nods to herself. _I see why that would be the case. She's not used to it yet._

"How good is he?" Yumi asks curiously. Aelita blinks and blushes slightly.

"I don't exactly have a basis of comparison. I do quite enjoy it though…" her voice trails off as the pinkette wonders exactly when she'd get him alone again. _Tonight perhaps?_ Shaking her head to get her mind off Jeremie, Aelita focuses back on Yumi. The Japanese girl was quietly trembling with giggles. Aelita's expression when she thought of her boyfriend had been hilarious. "What about you?"

"Oh everything's fine. You really shouldn't expect something from me though; I'm not that nice." Yumi teases as she takes the bill. Aelita rolls her eyes and polishes off the last bit of tuna sandwich. "Ready for some more shopping 'Lita?" Yumi asks unnecessarily.

"Obviously. Let's be off!" Aelita replies as she stands up and sends another longing glance towards that picturesque brook. The two girls browse the stores of Kihei as the day wears on.

Jeremie couldn't come up with any bright or original ideas so the three decide on the beach again. Odd found a Frisbee who knows where and he intended that his friends would be using it. Yet another almost perfect day greeted them with fleecy clouds lazing their way across the sky. The chatter of tourists and locals alike fills the air as people frolic in the blue-green waves. Finally finding a somewhat-open spot, the three lay out their towels and share a glance.

"So. What's it gonna be?" Ulrich asks. Jeremie eyes the spinning red disc in Odd's hands and blanches. Volleyball had been simple; all he had to do was hit it into the air. Frisbee actually required him to catch. _This might not end well._

"Frisbee in the water of course. What better way to make it completely insane? Harder to move and the waves might knock you over." Odd replies. Jeremie groans and covers his face with a hand. Surely if he begged he could relegate this game to the beach. Here he stood a chance of catching it once in a while. Then again…nothing wrong with learning the hard way. Ulrich notices his friend's hesitancy and slaps a comforting arm around Jer's shoulder.

"You aren't that bad. I'm sure if we asked Aelita she'd say you were downright amazing." Jer's blush sends the other two into a paroxysm of laughter. "So I'm right?" Ulrich asks after he can speak again. Jeremie raises his eyebrows.

"What, you want some of my techniques? No can do mate." He retorts. Ulrich chokes and Odd slaps him on the back. The three plod through the pleasantly warm sand towards the ocean. Jeremie wiggles his toes as the soothing coolness of water engulfs them. His eyes take in the vista of humanity at play: children constructing sand castles and other unidentifiable structures, glassy waves lifting surfers into the air and occasionally smashing them into the water, and the multitudes simply enjoying time under the sun.

The boys run into the water and Ulrich decides to trip Jeremie. With a move highly reminiscent of Aelita, the brown-haired boy sticks out his leg but Jeremie had learned his lesson on their first night. He leaps to the side and responds with a sweeping kick that sends Ulrich face first into an incoming wave. Odd notices neither of his friends were alongside him and he taps the Frisbee impatiently against his blue swimming trunks. "Come on you two."

Jer pulls Ulrich up with a wink. "Tough luck Ulrich, Aelita taught me to be a little more observant in the ocean." The other teen concedes the point with a shrug and automatically snatches the Frisbee that Odd threw at him. The three spread out into a rough triangle with about fifteen feet of distance between them.

"Ready Jer? You got this!" Ulrich calls as a practiced flick of his wrist sends the red disc soaring into the sky. Jeremie, knowing a bit about physics, starts trudging to the projected landing spot of the Frisbee. Seeing that he wasn't going to be able to reach it in time, Jer resorts to his usual option. He dives and focuses solely on the glittering circle growing larger in his vision. Both his hands catch it in place as his body crashes into the water and sends a sparkling splash into the air. Ulrich and Odd cheer at the catch. _He's definitely getting better._

Now for the hard part. Sure he could catch but throwing was a different matter. Once again using a bit of physics, Jeremie throws it slightly to the right of Odd. Unfortunately he didn't account for the wind that took it far off course. A wave hits him in the chest as if to rebuke his poor throw. Odd tries his best but the red disc lands 5 feet away. He snatches it before a wave could send it floating to shore. The sun performs its usual routine across the atmosphere as the Frisbee flies through the air over and over.

The wind picks up and creates stronger swells in the ocean. Every half an hour the three move closer to shore to avoid the larger ones crashing in. Surfers begin to invade the area and yells of delight ring in their ears. One sadistic wave staggers Jeremie back two feet and the Frisbee careens off his face instead of landing neatly in his hands. Rubbing his sore nose with a groan, the boy absentmindedly flicks it at Ulrich. It arcs perfectly and Ulrich grabs it with a smile. That was Jer's first excellent throw yet. Looks like pain revealed his true talents.

Another hour passes before Odd calls a break. The three friends tiredly force their worn-out muscles to push through the water towards shore. Jer reaches the beach and collapses wearily onto the warm sand. "Let's get a little sun." Ulrich says before stretching out on his towel. Odd grabs his purple shirt and creates a makeshift pillow. Aelita invades Jeremie's thoughts and he smirks at the surprise he had planned for her tonight. _It's amazing how useful research proves._ She would be pleased. In more ways than one if he had his way. He relaxes in the sun and lets his mind wander.

The sounds of merriment filter into their ears. Each boy is lost in their own thoughts while the sun's touch gradually warms them. Odd smiles in contentment. This was a vacation: his friends by his side and utter relaxation ruling his mind. No homework to worry about, no forthcoming punishments from Jim, and only the teensy-tiny prospect of forthcoming revenge from Aelita. Although he was pretty sure she already claimed her vengeance this morning. His stomach growls and he snaps his eyes open before immediately closing them against the sunlight. A groan escapes his lips and he rolls over on the prickly towel under him.

His hand reaches out for the small bag of mango he had the foresight of bringing. Prying it open, the questing hand grabs the soft fruit and transfers it to Odd's mouth. The sweet taste bursts in his mouth and he rolls over with a satisfied sigh. A few minutes and the bag returned to its forlorn state, empty of any fruit. He peers over at the two slumbering forms next to him and grins. _We sure sleep a lot here…_ Deciding to join his friends, Odd puts his hands under his head and floats off on summer dreams.

Sprinkles of droplets on Jeremie's face snaps his eyes open. The sun had vanished while they slept; now only slate grey clouds floated overhead. A brisk wind with a slight bite to it ruffles his hair and Jeremie shivers. "Guys, wake up!" he calls as he pulls his shirt on. The waves were higher than ever thanks to the increased speed of the currents from the storm. Ulrich and Odd groan at the sky above them and gather their things. Striking with an increased fury, the water streaming to earth plasters Jer's hair to his head. The three make a haphazard dash for the nearby hotel. Palm trees wave them on as the howling wind bends them to bow before their master. Sodden, they run up the steps and into their room gasping. The two girls resting lazily on the bed raise their eyebrows at the soaked trio. "Out a bit late were you?" Yumi chuckles. Aelita peers over the edge of her book and laughs.

"I see the shopping went well." Jeremie gasps. Four white bags stood by the counter filled with packages and boxes. The two girls share a look of satisfaction. "Wait, why are you in here?" Odd asks.

"We felt like it. Since you three need to get cleaned up we'll go over to ours and start dinner. Come on over whenever." Aelita replies and stretches before marking her place in the thick paperback with a finger. She brushes against Jeremie with a wink and quickly motions towards the balcony. Yumi follows with the bags and the two walk out. Odd steals the shower first and Ulrich drips in the kitchen while Jeremie quickly runs on the carpet onto the balcony outside. The boy remaining in the kitchen scratches his head and shrugs.

Jeremie opens the balcony door and slips outside before too much rain could flood into the room. "Woah!" he calls in surprise as his run screeches to a halt. Aelita stood on his balcony a few inches away; he almost plowed right into her.

"You're clumsy. Looks like I still have my ninja skills." The pinkette replies with a small grin and dancing emerald eyes. Jeremie agreed but his thoughts found themselves distracted by the mere sight of her. Her new black bikini was simply breathtaking. He loved black on her; it contrasted with her pink hair so well. That and it marked her devilish nature against her seeming innocence. _Innocent? Ha!_ Aelita's resulting smile at the effect she had on him only made his predicament worse. Jeremie swore he could feel the heat from her sultry smirk evaporating the moisture on his face.

Jeremie collapses into the chair and Aelita swiftly jumps on top of him. After a few minutes of thoroughly enjoying her boyfriend, the pinkette rests her head on his chest. Water made everything so much more…interesting. Jeremie couldn't keep his eyes off her form in that swimsuit and she kept teasing him with quick and passionate kisses just when he least expected them. _Well, I did do it to her for the last week so I guess I deserve it._ He didn't mind. Aelita moved in for another quick one but Jeremie had prepared himself. His hands tangle in her hair and lock her head in place. _Aha, my turn._

Aelita's rationality takes one look at her emotions and sighs. Nothing would get done in the next few minutes that involved anything logical. Sitting back with a brandy, reason takes a quick breather. Aelita wonders briefly at the strangeness of her mind before getting distracted again. It wasn't her fault his lips and tongue completely addled her brain. She blamed him. Looking up from the newspaper ten minutes later, rationality finishes the brandy in the crystal glass and gets back to work. Panting heavily, the pinkette looks at an extremely smug Jeremie and rolls her eyes. "Hmm…I have a surprise for you tonight." The shell-shocked boy murmurs. Aelita raises an eyebrow.

"Oh really? What kind of surprise?" she asks while toying with his hair. His hand rubs her back as he deliberates just how much to tell her.

"You'll see…we'll be taking a walk later tonight though. Bring your swimsuit!" he chuckles. "Preferably that one." Aelita smiles at his added comment. The swimsuit had proved to be worth every penny. The door opens and Yumi pops her head out.

"Dinner you two! There's towels right inside the door; I reminded Ulrich to leave two instead of one. " Aelita slips off his lap with a groan. She needed more than twenty minutes with him. The two slip inside and try to send all the water dripping off their bodies onto the towels rather than the carpet. The housecleaning probably wasn't too happy with the soaked bed and the jellyfish, no need to anger them any further. Satisfied that they were merely damp now, Aelita and Jeremie share a glance and run towards the door. Hunger provided such a good motivation to move faster.

The clattering of silverware reaches Jeremie's ear as he bursts into the other room. Steam rose from the pot of spaghetti cooking on the stove while Yumi tore apart lettuce for salads. "Italian tonight? Mm…" Aelita says while eyeing the meat sauce intensely. _That looks delectable._ Her nose twitches at the medley of aromas.

Ulrich looks up at the two new arrivals from his spot slicing up tomatoes. "You two _will_ be doing the dishes. Don't try to wiggle out of it." Jeremie puts his hands up defensively and nods. Ignoring the comment, Aelita twines a soft string of pasta around a fork and quickly sucks it into her mouth. "Shit!" the girl yells at her burnt tongue and the fork drops to the floor with a clatter. Jeremie rolls his eyes and Aelita sends him a glare.

"What? Don't expect me to commiserate with you over an idiot move." he responds casually. A fork bouncing off his shoulder cues him into Aelita's less-than-happy reaction. _Oh well. Makes tonight a bit more fun. _Pretending her friend's chuckles don't exist, the pinkette loads up her plate and the rest follow her example. Conversation gets eschewed for the pleasures of eating in the next few minutes. Yumi, Ulrich, and Odd conspicuously don't clean their plates off and head to the beds for some relaxation. Aelita and Jeremie share a smile and get to work.

Jeremie laughs to himself as he sinks his hands into the soapy water while Aelita waits expectantly with a dry dishtowel hanging from her hand. They made quite the sight: A sodden nerd in damp blue swim trunks with an equally wet stunning girl in a black two-piece. What were they doing? Dishes. The scene struck him as intensely amusing. Aelita raises her eyebrow at her boyfriend's slightly odd behavior and polishes the first plate squeaky clean.

Their movements coordinated with each other; the two quickly transfer the pots and pans to the clean side of the sink while the leftovers find themselves locked in the fridge. Aelita vanishes towards the bathroom and Jeremie wipes the counters down. She returns with emerald shorts and a black hoodie obscuring her swimsuit. She figured Jeremie was taking her somewhere tonight and that it involved water. As usual, the pinkette would find her guess to be correct.

A cry from the bed snaps Jer and 'Lita's attention in their friends' direction. Yumi had her hands in the air and gloated as she took Odd's pile of Monopoly money. "I love hotels. I really do. I also love your horrendous luck." she crows. Ulrich rolls his eyes and takes his move while Odd slumps dejectedly.

"Where'd you three find the Monopoly?" Jeremie asks curiously. Ulrich points to the cabinet under the television and Jer scratches his head. _Huh, never noticed._ "Well, we're going to walk a bit. Enjoy the game." Aelita's curious eyes ask him where they were going but his slight smile reveals nothing. Resigning herself to the unknown for now, she grabs his hand and the two walk outside. The rain had lessened to a slight drizzle in the last hour. Aelita rubs the sleeve of her hoodie in gratitude for its slight protection against the temperature.

The two simultaneously glance at the hot tub sparkling below their feet and share a thoroughly wicked glance. Well, more shocked on Jeremie's part compared to the bad angel vibe Aelita's smirk gave off. "What, not enough of me for you today?" he asks. Her emerald eyes told him the obvious answer to that question.

Rolling his eyes, Jeremie drags her away from the hotel and along a mostly-deserted road running parallel to the coast. The distant gleam of the ocean filtered through the rustling grasses and leaves. They walked without words, preferring to enjoy the sights and sounds of the beautiful island around them. Aelita once again wondered how everything could be so perfect. _It can't be, obviously_. The voice that spoke up was correct but the pinkette had a feeling that any future trials wouldn't be as severe as the ones already behind her. If they turned out to be nasty then she had a measure of experience backing her up.

That problem was for later; now focused on the being that she thought of as _hers_. Jeremie's fingers felt right slipped in between her own. She had no real experience of relationships or love for that matter. _Neither does he; we're learning as we go along._ The pinkette shrugs. It didn't really matter as of right now. Change could sweep them onto different paths but Aelita felt only happiness and contentment that they walked side-by-side in life. Done with her interior debate of a sort, she darts her gaze to the pensive face close to her own. "What's on your mind?" she asks with a squeeze of her hand on his.

"Oh, just curious if the guidebooks were right…" he mutters half to himself. Aelita ponders that statement. _Right about what exactly? Must be part of his surprise or something._ He leads them off the road in the direction of the ocean. Aelita couldn't tell where they were; trees and knee-high grasses loomed all around her. Worried about tripping, she focuses on the muddy path beneath her sandals. His sudden stop causes her to bump into him and look up. A rattling sound reached her ears as Jer played with something in his hands.

"Shit, this is harder than I thought." he groans and pulls a shiny object out of his pocket. Aelita scratches her head and leans in closer to see. Just as she makes out the shadowy form of a lock on the fence in front of them a loud click reaches her ears. Jeremie pulls the lock off and sets it on the ground next to the door. _Wait. Did he just pick that lock? _Aelita blinks to clear away the dream and groans when everything remains the same.

"What…why did you unlock that?" she asks in a bewildered tone. He grins at her and motions to the dark expanse beyond.

"So we could get down there of course." he answers. The logic made sense to Aelita but still…wasn't this trespassing?

"Are we allowed down there?" she asks timidly. Jer looks over his shoulder at the resistant girl still standing there and grabs her hand.

"Probably not. We won't get noticed though. Besides, the tourist guidebooks show how to pick a lock. Obviously that skill is intended to be used." He replies. Aelita gives in and follows him down the rocky slope. The distant sound of ocean waves crashing against stone steadily grows louder. Think trees became scarcer as the rocky ground mixes with sand. Swatting at an errant bug, the pinkette pushes through a final screen of flora and enters the open area.

A small part in the clouds let the full moon illuminate the area with a phantasmal aura. Two black arms of rock stretched into the sea for twenty feet and created a small protected pool. Waves crashed into the unyielding volcanic stone with tremendous force but couldn't gain access to the tranquility within. Shadowy shapes moving in the translucent water remained oblivious to the two new presences. Aelita could only grab onto Jeremie for support. This was all for the couple alone.

"Jeremie…" her voice trails off and she steps forward in a trance-like state. He grins at her reaction to his surprise and follows her.

"Like it?" Aelita heard the smirk in his voice. That question was rendered unnecessary by the crushing hug he received. Gasping for air, Jeremie pushes Aelita to arms' length.

"How'd you know about this place?" she asks while twining a strand of her hair through her elegantly slim fingers.

"A gentleman never divulges his sources." Jeremie responds with a grin. Aelita raises an eyebrow and casually places a hand on his chest. His heartbeats remained fairly slow….for now.

"I have my interrogation methods you know. Might want to spill before you get hurt." she teases. He rolls his eyes and pulls her closer. Aelita lets out a yelp of surprise. She hadn't expected Jer to actually pick her up.

_Psh, she's not heavy._ Jeremie smiles at the blinking girl in his arms and moves towards the sea. Fish dart from the intruders as the blonde's feet meet the cool crisp water. Small waves dotted the surface; larger ones broke on the encircling walls. Aelita leaned her head in closer for a taste of Jer and was amply rewarded with the taste of saltwater. Through the foot of water above her head she could see him bent over in laughter. _He's going to regret that._

Calmly standing up, Aelita pushes Jeremie back towards the shore. That ever-present trickster of men, curiosity boils up in the boy and he lets his girlfriend lead him onto the damp sand. With a flick of her wrist she knocks him onto his ass and stands over him with a devilish smile. Jeremie could only stare as her body began to…undulate. There really was no other way to describe it. Aelita's hands enticingly grabbed the bottom of her sweatshirt as her plan to torture Jeremie into sweet madness began.

The hoodie traveled so slowly up Aelita's body that Jeremie's hands itched to aid her. But that would be giving in to her little scheme. _I'm better than this. _His resolve crumbled once the hoodie landed on his face. _Okay, so maybe I'm in over my head here._ Aelita laughed. The low, sultry sound only made it worse for Jeremie. Her hands toyed with the edge of her green shorts while she continued to dance in place.

Jeremie could only wonder where she learned these skills. Then again that didn't really matter since she was performing them for him alone. The green shorts gave way to her black swimsuit as Aelita teased them down her legs. Her emerald eyes glowed with amusement at the utterly enthralled sapphire eyes staring at her. The shorts hit her feet with a small rustle and she nonchalantly kicked them at Jeremie. He mirrored her casualness by catching them and throwing them to the side. Aelita raised an eyebrow; he held up better than she expected.

Aelita abruptly spun away from the bemused boy and dashed for the ocean. With a clean motion the girl breaks the surface of the water and becomes another shadow floating under the waves. Jeremie didn't have a problem finding her; the fish weren't quite that big. His hands wrap around her waist and he pulls her from the water into his arms like he just made a huge catch. "Hey! I'm not a fish." Aelita responds as her watery world returns to the air.

"Oh really? You sure wiggle like one." Jeremie replies with a glint shining in his eyes. Aelita blushes slightly but resolutely continues to look at him.

"It's a gift. You sure didn't seem to mind." Aelita's wink gives her seemingly innocent statement a whole new meaning. Sighing, Jeremie drops her again. The pinkette comes back up sputtering.

"How many times are you going to do that?" she replies angrily. Jeremie looks her over and grins.

"Well if I followed the same plan for revenge you could always do the same." He teases. Aelita blinks at him before his meaning connects.

"You wish. I'm at least a bit more inventive." Aelita responds with a purr. Jeremie realizes the plight he was in but far too late. With a pounce the pinkette knocks her boyfriend into the shallow water and takes residence on his oh-so-soft chest. Her light touch automatically sends the boy's pulse up a few notches. _Let's see how disconcerted I can get him._

Aelita glanced at Jeremie's neck. It was time for her to return the favor. Her hands tangled his hair into an unholy mess as she leaned closer. Jeremie gasped involuntarily at the feeling of her soft lips caressing his skin. Occasional darts of her tongue didn't help his hold on rationality. He didn't do that to her last time! Okay, maybe a couple times…His hands pulled her head up and she smirked at the conflagration turning his eyes into brightly-lit orbs of melting ice.

_Well if his neck is out of reach…_ Aelita leaned forward and claimed his lips with her own. She started out light and slow just to annoy him. Jeremie groaned at the swift but insistent feeling of her lips and upped the tone a bit. Aelita didn't mind in the least. She fought his tongue for dominance and won handily. With a sudden jerk Jeremie rolled over and switched their positions without breaking the kiss.

Aelita pushed him up so they were mere inches from each other's faces. A few gasping breaths settled the fog in their minds. Jeremie surveyed his girlfriend and grinned. Aelita knew that smile couldn't mean anything good for her reason. The being in question, sensing another wave of emotions on the way, takes a break for dinner. _Hmm, I really need to stop using that analogy. It's a bit weird._ Aelita knew that "normal" would never apply to her though.

_Hmm…what to do…_ Jeremie pondered the possibilities as his eyes memorized every facet and detail of the girl under him. He gently returns his attentions to her mouth and lightly trails his hands down her neck. His fingers tentatively continue downward and he receives no verbal or physical indication of Aelita's displeasure. Rather he received the opposite reaction.

Minutes pass and Jeremie's hesitation fades. He was learning just what she liked and what to avoid. "Damn it…Jer…" Aelita gasps after one particular caress of his hands. Guess typing all the time translated into other benefits. Noticing that she was on the edge of losing control, Jeremie regretfully ceases his explorations. He sinks into the cool water and smiles to himself.

Aelita regains a small sliver of her composure. _Well that didn't work out as I planned. _He _disconcerted _me. She closes her eyes and attempts to slow down the rapid beating of her heart. He probably rested in the water with a smirk on his face. _Next time he's going to be the one trying to find sanity._ Cracking open one emerald eye, Aelita finds her guess to be right. "Don't look so smug." she groans.

"Why not? That worked out quite…nicely." The boy murmurs. Aelita sighs and stands up.

"Okay, I'll grant you that. Now unless you brought a nice bed along, I'm _not_ sleeping here." Jeremie looks at her offered hand and takes it. He gives her another kiss that threatened to send them right back where they were a couple minutes ago. Aelita shakes herself at the sudden loss of his touch after he abruptly breaks away.

"Let's head back then. We were out here a few hours I think." Jeremie replies and throws Aelita's hoodie and shorts to the owner. She puts them on swiftly and sends a longing glance to the peaceful area. Turning back around to face the dark mass of forest in front of her, she wonders briefly how exactly Jer planned on finding his way back. Somehow the boy had memorized the route for they soon found themselves at the silvery fence. Jer closed the door behind him and reattached the lock. Aelita smiled at him; she was quite enjoying his marked reduction in shyness.

The girl entwines her hand in his once more as she tiredly leans into him. They had a couple miles to walk along the desolate road. Good thing she fell asleep so early last night otherwise Jeremie would probably be carrying her back right now. Once again silence reigns. Neither felt like breaking the comforting blanket of nature surrounding them. Something in the air would resent any vocalization.

Upon reaching the hotel, Jeremie gave the exhausted teen a push towards her door. Aelita's imploring glance clearly revealed what she wanted but Jer shook his head no. "Remember this morning? That is _not _going to happen again." Aelita winces at the remembered sting on her cheek and nods mournfully. She steals another kiss before letting him go.

"Good night Jer." She whispers while stepping into the darkened room in front of her.

"Night princess." The boy replies and closes the door softly behind him. The two mull their respective thoughts on the events of the night while finally getting out of their wet clothes. Slumbering away, Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi never notice Jeremie and Aelita slipping into their respective beds and disappearing into oblivion with twin smiles on their faces.


End file.
